Cheesy Chicken & Rice Casserole

Cheesy Chicken & Rice Casserole

   
Hi everybody :)

Everyone, I'm sure, has their favorite chicken and rice dish that was inherited from a grandmother, mom, or aunt. But you can never have too many, so with that in mind, I bring you Cheesy Chicken & Rice Casserole.

This is a really simple recipe. It can also be prepared 1 day ahead, loosely covered and refrigerated until ready to bake. It can be cooked in individual baking dishes, and will make a great welcoming home gift for family or friends.

Cheesy Chicken & Rice Casserole from:  CREATIVE COOK'S KITCHEN COOKBOOK

You Will Need

FOR THE CASSEROLE
1 can (10 ounces) cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 cups cooked white rice
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green or red bell pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

FOR THE TOPPING
1 sheet (1/2 package) frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
1 egg white, lightly beaten

SPECIAL AIDS
2-inch leaf-shaped cookie cutter rolling pin
SERVES 4

MAKING THE CASSEROLE
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a large casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine soup, milk and mayonnaise. In another bowl, combine rice, chicken, peas, onion and bell pepper.

2. Stir soup mixture into chicken mixture. Add half the Cheddar. Spoon into casserole. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar. Bake until top is golden, about 25 minutes.

MAKING THE TOPPING
1. On a floured surface, roll pastry to 1/8-inch thickness.
2. Using a cookie cutter, mark cutouts in pastry and cut out with knife.
3. With a small paring knife, press along pastry edges and down center of each cutout to make "veins." Arrange cutouts on an ungreased baking sheet; brush tops with egg white.

4. Place pastry cutouts in oven during last 15 minutes of casserole baking time. Bake cutouts until golden brown.
5. Remove cutouts from baking sheet and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Remove casserole from oven.
6. Arrange baked pastry cutouts on top of casserole. Serve immediately.

Kitchen Tips
To save time, place unbaked cutouts directly on casserole during the last 15 minutes of baking time.

Festive Touch
Use special cookie cutters for the pastry topping to echo a particular holiday.

To Spice It Up
Add some heat to this recipe by substituting 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapenos for the Cheddar.

What I Think:
It was very good. I was surprise that there was no seasoning in the dish itself (but the chicken was seasoned, I used a roastisire chicken breast). I did sprinkled a little Mrs. Dash Onion and Herb Seasoning on top of the pastry leaves after the egg white. So THIS is going in my repeat file.

ENJOY! Come again...

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