Ingredients
- 2 cups of cooked rice
- 3 cups of chopped broccoli, cooked
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, optional
- 1 (10 ounce) can of cream of celery soup (I used cream of mushroom)
- 1-1/2 cups of grated Cheddar cheese, divided (I used Colby/Jack)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- 15 turns of the pepper grinder
- 1/4 teaspoon of Slap Ya Mama, or your favorite Cajun seasoning, optional (I used Emeril's "Essence")
- 1/2 cup of bread crumbs, or crumbled potato chips or crackers
- 4 cups of shredded cooked chicken
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Spread the rice in the bottom of the pan and top evenly with the broccoli; set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice and cream of celery soup. Add the garlic salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning; mix. Add one cup of the cheese and the chicken. Spread mixture over the top of the broccoli layer and smooth out.
Bake uncovered, at 350 degrees, in the upper section of the oven for 30 minutes. Remove and add the crumb topping and the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese on top. Return to the oven and bake another 10 minutes or until the crumbs brown and cheese melts. Check the center to make sure it is cooked through. Let sit for a few minutes to settle before serving.
Can freeze.
*If you don't have already cooked, leftover rice on hand and don't want to steam or boil regular long grain rice, you can substitute a quick cooking rice like Minute rice if desired.
If you don't already have leftover cooked chicken on hand, place about 4 average sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a pot, cover with water, add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 40 minutes, or until tender. Set aside to cool enough to shred.
Omit the chicken to make it a simple Broccoli and Rice Casserole.
Source: http://www.deepsouthdish.com
Adapted from Trisha Yearwood's Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen