I was reading the other day that we ought to be eating more food that is “one ingredient:” rice, potatoes, eggs (re: Cream of XX Soup, a classic chicken and rice ingredient, is NOT on the list). I also wanted to use up items I had in the house as pay day isn’t until Tuesday. That said, I bring you another chicken and rice casserole (original recipe here):

• Preheat oven to 375* and grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish.
• Chop one onion and one bulb of garlic. Saute in olive oil until tender; pour into casserole dish.
• Slice 8 oz. mushrooms. Saute in same pan without adding more olive oil (a dry saute promotes browning). Add to casserole dish.
• Chop and steam one head of broccoli (I love my micro cooker, another awesome Pampered Chef item!); place in casserole dish (I didn’t want the entire meal to be brown).
• Sprinkle one cup of brown rice and two cups of cooked chicken (I used leftover rotisserie) over the veggies.
• Deglaze the saute pan with a couple twirls of dry sherry. Reduce to a few tablespoons and add 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock. Cook to a simmer before adding one half- pint of heavy whipping cream* and 1/2 cup of sour cream. (I also snuck in about two ounces of Parmesan cheese.) Stir in one tablespoon each of poultry seasoning, paprika, and Italian seasoning. Salt and pepper for good measure.
• Pour sauce over veggies and rice, stirring to ensure even distribution of deliciousness.
• Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 60+ minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed (take the foil off if the casserole is too watery at the end of cooking time).

Why is cooking sherry so good?! I’m sure it is absolutely terrifying to drink, but it adds a depth of flavor to a meal that is unmatched. This was an absolute win; I’d serve it to guests…with a glass of red wine. (P.S. I added a bit of parsley for the photo op.)

* The recipe called for 1/4 cup, but I knew I’d have a lot of guilt after I drank the other half straight out of the carton for dessert. 🙂