Cheesy Chicken Vegetable and Rice Casserole

Casseroles are the epitome of Midwestern comfort food. When sick, or too busy to prep a large meal, a casserole provides every food group needed for complete nutrition in an easy to eat form. When I was in college, a similar casserole was one of my favorite things to eat. That one was made with condensed soup, but this is made from scratch, so it’s healthier and tastier too! This is easily modified with your preferred vegetables. I made this casserole for a friend a couple months ago when she came home from the hospital with her baby and also dropped one off to our friends doing a 25-hour extra life marathon! Recently, I decided to make it for our family also to use up some extra chicken and we kept taking seconds… and thirds.

Cheesy Chicken Vegetable and Rice Casserole

1/2 lb frozen broccoli florets, thawed and cut into bite sized pieces
2/3 – 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken
1 Tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery ribs, chopped
4 cups cooked long grain rice (day old leftover rice is best)
3 Tablespoon butter
3 Tablespoon flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
pinch of cayenne
additional salt and pepper, to taste
8 oz cheddar, shredded

1. cut chicken breast into 1/2 inch cubes and season with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to a large pan over medium heat, then cook the chicken until browned on the outside.
2. Remove chicken to a large bowl. Add onion, carrots, and celery to the pan on the stove and saute until onions are softened.
3. Add sauteed vegetables, broccoli, and rice to the chicken in the bowl, stir, add half of the cheddar, and stir again.
4. Preheat oven to 350ºF and coat inside of 2 quart casserole dish with nonstick spray, oil, or a small amount of butter.
5. Heat butter and flour on stove over medium heat until foamy, then cook and stir for one more minute.
6. Whisk in chicken broth and milk and bring to a simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Melt in half of the remaining cheddar, then add the seasoning.
7. Pour cheese sauce over rice mix, stir, then transfer to the casserole dish and top with cheese.
8. Bake uncovered 35-45 minutes or until golden brown.

Cook It In Cast Iron: Chicken Pot Pie

I recently started using my library much more frequently than I have in many years. The first time I decided to request a book from the library I had a flood of memories of how exciting it was to wait for a book. (A new book is coming for me! Will it arrive today? I am so eager to pick it up!) Stopping into the library regularly also reminded me how fun it is to browse and pick up random books to check out. Maybe I’ll like it, maybe I won’t. No pressure, I can always return it. One book I picked up recently was Cook It In Cast Iron, from Cooks Country. The first recipe I made from it was this chicken pot pie. Last winter I repeatedly tried to make a chicken pot pie recipe that I liked; while pot pie always is good comfort food, none of them really hit the spot until this one. This recipe is destined to become my new go-to.

Chicken Pot Pie (adapted from Cook It In Cast Iron by The Editors at America’s Test Kitchen)
serves 4-6

1 recipe single crust pie dough (below)
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 2 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 carrots, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
2 celery ribs, cut into ¼ inch pieces
1 onion, chopped fine
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed*
½ cup frozen peas
¼ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (or 1 T dried)
1 tablespoon dry sherry or white wine

1. Prepare the dough: Roll dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper into an 11 inch circle. Remove top parchment sheet. Fold in outer 1/2 inch of dough and, using your fingers, crimp the edge of the dough to make a fluted rim. Using a paring knife, cut a few vents in the top of the dough. Transfer dough, still on parchment, to a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
2. Parbake the crust: Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400°F. Then brush dough with egg wash and bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Transfer the crust (still on sheet) to a wire rack to cool.
3. Start the sauce: Heat cast iron skillet in the warm oven for 3-4 minutes, then set on the stove over medium heat. Melt butter in skillet. Add carrots, celery, onion, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until vegetables are soft and slightly browned, 5-7 minutes. Stir in thyme and cook about 30 seconds. Then stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in broth, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Bring to a simmer.
4. Cook the chicken: Pound the thicker ends of the chicken breasts as needed to ensure the entire breast is of even thickness (this is important to make sure the chicken cooks evenly.) Nestle the chicken into the skillet, reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook, flipping the chicken halfway through, until the meat reaches 160°F and the sauce has thickened, about 10-15 minutes. *I think you could also use left over roast chicken or rotisserie chicken and skip this step to go right to the next one.
5. Finish the filling: Transfer chicken to a carving board, let it cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces using 2 forks. Stir shredded chicken, peas, cream, parsley, and sherry into the skillet. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Bake the pie: Place parbaked pie crust on top of filling, transfer skillet to oven, and bake until crust is deep golden brown and filling is bubbling, about 10 minutes (I needed more time – closer to 20!). Let pot pie cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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Simplified Dough Recipe: (adapted from addapinch.com)
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup vegetable shortening
¼ cup butter
4-5 tablespoons ice water

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour and the salt. Cut in the shortening and butter with a pastry cutter or 2 forks until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
2. Gradually add enough ice water to the mixture while mixing with a wooden spoon until dough is formed.
3. Roll out the pie dough as in step 1 of pie instructions.

Meal Prep: Easy Chicken Teriyaki

I don’t remember what prompted me to want to start meal prepping for Joe’s work week – something about the knowledge that he was eating out at restaurants nearly every day (the money! the calories!)… or maybe it’s the fact that he packs my work lunch each night (all finger food I can eat in my car, since I drive around all day for work)… or maybe jealousy that he sits in a office downtown (in my head, very glamorous) and I sit in my dirty car… regardless, last winter I found this recipe for chicken teriyaki which he has repeatedly asked for since that time. This is simple and good to eat and is going to become part of our regular rotation.

Sheet Pan Chicken Teriyaki (adapted from Tasty)
Serves 4

Ingredients
½ cup low sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons water
½ tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 tablespoons honey
3 skinless chicken breasts
½ bell pepper, sliced
1 cup broccoli floret
1 cup baby carrot
1 cup green beans, trimmed
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups cooked brown rice, for serving
sesame seed, for garnish
green onion, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the soy sauce, water, garlic, cornstarch, and honey. Allow the sauce to begin bubbling, then stir until sauce thickens. Remove from the heat.
3. Spoon a little of the teriyaki sauce onto the center of a large parchment-lined baking sheet. Lay the chicken on top of the sauce. Arrange the bell pepper, broccoli, green beans, and carrots around the chicken.
4. Season the vegetables and chicken with salt and pepper. Coat everything well with teriyaki sauce, reserving a little for later.
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. (White meat chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165ºF!)
6. Remove the pan from oven and let cool. Slice the chicken into strips.
7. Distribute the chicken and vegetables evenly between 4 resealable containers filled with brown rice.
8. Drizzle the remaining sauce over chicken and garnish with sesame seeds and green onion.
9. Refrigerate up to 4 days.

Marie Cooks Skyrim: Venison Stew

When my brother in law tagged a deer last fall, he and my sister promised me some to cook with. I was a little anxious because I had never cooked with venison before. I wanted to do something different – I didn’t want to make any old beef recipe and simply substitute venison, I wanted to choose something that would compliment the venison. Rob gave me a small tip roast, and after comparing a lot of different recipes online, I eventually settled on this one from Jamie Oliver. As I was cooking it, the aroma of juniper and rosemary mingled in my kitchen – I don’t know that I would have ever suspected them of going together, but they do fantastically. My only error was that because I only had a small amount of meat, I reduced the rest most of the recipe by a quarter… but forgot to reduce the spices I put in, and as a result it was overpowering. Still, the meat was tender and delicious and I would love to try to make venison stew again in the future.

Venison Stew
Serves 6

4 tablespoons plain flour
800g (1.5-2lbs) quality stewing venison, cut into 2cm (or 1 inch) chunks
olive oil
2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped
3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 sticks celery, trimmed and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon juniper berries, crushed in a pestle and mortar
2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
1 Tablespoon butter
6 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley (separate the stalks and the leaves)
2 beef stock cubes
600g (1-1.5lbs) small new potatoes, scrubbed clean, larger ones halved
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1. Dust a chopping board with 2 tablespoons of flour and a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper, and toss your chunks of meat through this mixture until well coated. Heat a large pan on a high heat, add a few glugs of olive oil and fry your meat for 3 minutes to brown it. Add your chopped onions, carrots, celery, crushed juniper berries, rosemary and the butter. Add a few tablespoons of water, give everything a good stir, then put the lid on the pan and let everything steam for 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Take the lid off so your meat and vegetables start to fry, and stir every so often for 5-10 minutes. Chop your parsley stalks finely, and once the onions start to caramelize, add them to the pan with your remaining 2 tablespoons of flour and your crumbled stock cubes. Stir, and pour in enough water to cover the mixture by a couple of inches. Put the parsley leaves aside for later.
3. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to medium low so that the stew is just simmering. Add your potatoes and slow cook with the lid slightly askew for at least 2 hours or until the meat falls apart easily. You can add a splash of water if you think it looks too dry.
4. Put your chopped garlic in the middle of a chopping board. Add most of your parsley leaves with a teaspoon of sea salt and half a teaspoon of black pepper. Chop everything together so you get a rough paste. Add this to the stew and stir through. Chop the last of the parsley leaves and sprinkle over before serving.

Marie Cooks Skyrim: Chicken Dumplings

Fantasy is often stereotyped for excessive descriptions, including descriptions of food. Who could make it through The Chronicles of Narnia without wanting to find out what Turkish Delight tastes like? Or read A Game of Thrones without craving a bowl of beef and barley stew? I am certainly not the only one who has thought so… you could create a library of cookbooks written solely to give people a taste of fictional worlds. The summer before last, I was at the Renaissance Faire and was tempted by a bookseller and several fantasy-themed cookbooks by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel. It should be obvious how my checkbook fared against that temptation.

My recreation of Skyrim’s chicken dumplings is adapted from this book. The filling is flavorful – sweet from the carrots and roasted leeks, spring-like from the dill and fennel, balanced with richness from the cream. I’ve made these 3 times already, and will definitely keep making them.

Marie Cooks Skyrim: Cabbage Potato Soup

When it comes to choosing what food to eat, I think it is very important to listen to what your body is telling you. Not the part that says eat pizza for every meal – the part that says “I want mushrooms right now,” or “roasted broccoli sounds really good.” Usually, our bodies are very good at telling us what we need, if we know how to listen. Last weekend, I was craving cabbage. This is NOT usually a craving I have, but I must have been particularly deficient in vitamin C (or something) because cabbage just sounded like something I really wanted to be part of dinner. Well, perfect time for me to do some google-research of several dozen different cabbage soup recipes. This one caught my eye looking particularly delicious and I was pretty tickled to find that it had all of the ingredients from Skyrim’s cabbage, potato, and leek soup. Joe and I had this for dinner with some garlic bread and I absolutely cleaned my bowl of every last drop.

Roasted Vegetable Baked Ziti

Several years ago, I decided I was going to make a lasagna for my friend’s mom (which I like to do for births, funerals, Christmas gifts, get-well presents, and more). She eats very little meat, however, so I decided to make a vegetarian lasagna instead. And she keeps gluten-free, but the only gluten-free noodles I could find in the store were ziti. And when I tried to layer the ingredients they all just kind of smooshed together. It did not turn out like I expected, but my sister and I brought it over to her house, we all shared it while playing Eucher together, and we all had second helpings…

Now, shelter-in-place and limiting shopping trips to once every 2 weeks has made it hard to eat as many fresh vegetables as I would like, so I found myself thinking once again about that vegetable baked ziti and I decided to see if I could recreate it. I tried my hand at it this afternoon, and this evening Joe and I sat on our porch with a glass of red wine to accompany it and we both had second helpings.

From the Pantry: Joe’s Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

This was the first meal that Joe ever made for me. Well, actually he made it for my roommate, Lindsey, and I wasn’t supposed to be there… See, nine years ago, I kept asking my roommate when she was going to have her smart, charismatic, good-looking friend from college over to our apartment again. One night, Joe invited Lindsey to his place for dinner to talk to her about how much he liked her roommate (me) and Lindsey decided it would be a good idea to cut out the middle man and bring me along. She was right – it was a good idea.

Joe and I regularly eat this soup in the cooler months. It is incredibly filling (while still being low-calorie) and absolutely delicious. Often, split pea soup is made with ham, which is very salty. We don’t use ham (which keeps it very inexpensive, as well!) but we do add a lot of salt. This soup turn-the-bowl-sideways thick and goes very well with a large slice of crusty sourdough bread.

Lord of the Rings Marathon Part 2 – Potato Soup and Mushroom Pot Roast

After breakfast and elevensies, which were both sweet, it is time to turn to the savory for luncheon, afternoon tea, and dinner. Time management has never been my strong suit, but in order to make cooking 6 courses for 16 people work, it is absolutely key! So for lunch, I chose a soup I could start the night before and stick in the refrigerator, then heat up add the final touches in a short time in between The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. I thought of Sam making stewed rabbit in Ithilien when he wishes for po-tay-toes; “The Gaffer’s delight and rare good ballast for an empty belly,” as he educates Sméagol.

Creamy Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

When I was young, I disliked Thanksgiving. I had to go to a family get together that was loud and cramped and overwhelming; I always thought turkey was too dry (unless it was too slimy) and there wasn’t even the chance of presents to help endure it as there was at Christmas! The older I’ve gotten, the more I appreciate Thanksgiving – I now live far enough away that I look forward to seeing my family again, and I’m less of a picky eater so the promise of a feast is more appealing. That doesn’t mean, however, that I want to eat reheated Thanksgiving dinner for the next week straight, so coming up with more ways to eat Turkey is essential.

I adore this soup; it is rich, very flavorful (even without adding salt once you get to the table,) and the nuttiness of the the wild rice is balanced by the comparative brightness of the carrots and celery. I originally found the recipe at Taste of Home. Just like Turkey a la King, it is a perfect follow up to last week’s stuffing and mashed potatoes.