Broccoli & Rice Casserole

A weekend weather forecast of cold and rainy weather means cleaning my apartment, doing laundry, and other indoor activities, only venturing out to run necessary errands.  This weekend I decided that I should attempt to take on my overflowing closet and pack up some clothes I haven't worn since I moved to Chicago (2.5 years ago) to donate to Goodwill.  In addition to this pre-winter "nesting" activity I had an urge to go through the millions of recipes I have clipped out of my cooking magazines and find some yummy comfort food...and what doesn't say comfort food like a casserole!?! 

This one caught my eye for a few reasons:

 - It can be made from leftovers from a previous nights dinner (who doesn't grab a rotisserie chicken every so often for a quick dinner....it just smells so good as you walk past it in the grocery store)

 - It is a one dish wonder...you get your protein, grains, veggies, and dairy in one dish of gooey goodness.

 - It is a Cooking Light recipe, so you know it is relatively good for you!

Ingredients

1 cup 1% low-fat milk

1/2 cup water

1 Cup Brown Rice

3 cups small broccoli florets

Cooking spray

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese

2 ounces light processed cheese, cubed (I used provolone, but pepper jack would be wonderful for a kick!)

2 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°.2. Combine milk and water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Add broccoli; cook 5 minutes. Drain; discard milk mixture.3. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, celery, and bell pepper; sauté 5 minutes. Add cream cheese and processed cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat; stir in rice, broccoli, chicken, salt, and black pepper. Spoon 1 cup rice mixture into each of 4 (10-ounce) ramekins coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until cheese melts.

*Notes: The recipe called for instant rice in a bag, but I went ahead and made real brown rice because I had the time.  I also threw in some sliced mushrooms because I had them in the fridge and needed to use them.  

Recipe Source: Cooking Light