Storified by Lucette Delacroix· Mon, Mar 18 2013 19:36:23
When there’s no time to make an elaborate meal but you still want something comforting and pleasurable, casserole is your best bet. In this gourmet cooking recipes, chicken is combined with mushrooms together with brown rice, cream and almonds for a complete meal in one dish. Make this for the busy weekdays and lift downtrodden spirits with this soul food. Other ingredients used to make this simple recipe include olive oil, onions, flour, chicken broth, parsley flakes, and black pepper.
Before assembling the recipe to make the casserole, the canned mushrooms need to be drained and sliced. Of course, you can also use fresh mushrooms if you wish. Canned mushrooms are usually precooked. If you are using fresh mushrooms, wash, dry, slice, and sauté them first with a little butter or olive oil to cook them a bit and drain them well before adding to the other ingredients. If you are using dried mushrooms, allow them to soak for a few hours in water and slice and sauté them before adding to the casserole dish.
The chicken needs to be cooked prior to adding to the casserole dish. For a healthier dish, use skinless and boneless chicken. You can cook chicken pieces for use in this recipe or use leftover roast, grilled, boiled or steamed chicken. You can also make chicken broth using a whole chicken together with the bones and use the chicken broth and the cooked chicken meat for making chicken rice and mushroom casserole.
One of the best things about this dish is that you can store it in an airtight container inside the fridge for serving later, so you have a comforting meal throughout the week. Simply heat the contents in a microwave or the oven and you have a complete and satisfying meal for the busy weekdays.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain mushrooms; reserve liquid.
Prepare rice according to package directions. While rice is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and sauté until transparent.
Stir in flour; add chicken broth and reserved liquid from mushrooms, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth. Add half-and-half. Continue stirring until thick. Add chicken, parsley and pepper; stir to combine.
Pour mixture into a large casserole dish. Sprinkle almonds on top. Bake for 25 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbly.
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