Ah...satisfaction! I told my husband that it was nice to open the fridge and it is full. There's something gratifying about knowing I'm ready for this week with some meals ready to heat and eat.
I did my usual put the chicken in the Crockpot thingy Friday night. Saturday morning I had a cooked chicken with rich broth. It's cold here and cold air bothers my asthma so other than a quick run to the grocery store for a few items, we were home and I spent most of the afternoon fixing things.
I baked bread with rice flour. I like having different breads when we have supper and I hate to spend gourmet prices for stuff you can make for a lot less. I heat it a few slices when we are ready to eat and it usually tastes pretty good.
I am trying a new recipe. I was looking through a Paula Deen cookbook and saw this recipe with rice.
Chicken and Rice Casserole
2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
3 cups diced, cooked chicken
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans green beans, drained and rinsed
1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 (4-ounce) jar pimentos
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (6-ounce) box long-grain wild rice, cooked according to package directions
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
Pinch salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat butter or oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.
Add all remaining ingredients to bowl and mix together until thoroughly combined.
Pour into a greased 3-quart casserole dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for a few minutes before serving
I'm going to admit that I didn't fix it exactly. The cookbook said to use a whole box of Uncle Ben's rice. I used the rice I had on hand.
I also used different vegetables. I roasted a big pan of celery, carrots, onions, zucchini and potatoes to put in a chicken pot pie so I used part of that. I like green beans, but I thought I'd use what I had. Why spend more than I need to? Hope Paula won't mind.
I also substituted the whole can of cream of celery soup with a half a can of cream of chicken (again, I used half of it for the chicken pot pie) and made up with it with plain yogurt. Sorry, Paula. I not only want to save some money, but cut out some of the fat.
I also shredded bits and pieces of a couple of cheeses that I had in the fridge. So, this is no longer a purebred recipe. Hope Paula understands!
I look forward to trying this recipe. As cold as it is, a nice hot casserole for supper will be yummy, and far more reasonable than going out! I just hope Paula Deen won't hate me forever!
The fridge is full and my apologies to Paula Deen
January 23rd, 2011 at 09:52 pm
January 23rd, 2011 at 10:41 pm 1295822477
January 23rd, 2011 at 10:46 pm 1295822792
January 24th, 2011 at 01:13 am 1295831633
January 24th, 2011 at 02:47 am 1295837249
I have often heard the "TV Chefs" say that their recipes are just a guide. That you are free to add/subtract anything/everything you need/want to.
January 24th, 2011 at 05:02 pm 1295888564
January 25th, 2011 at 12:30 am 1295915450
Thanks for the positive comments!
Hey, NJDebbie -- saw on the news about the extremely cold temps...do you have all the snow to go with it?
January 28th, 2011 at 11:58 pm 1296259121
Jerry
January 29th, 2011 at 12:01 am 1296259290