Tasty Tuesdays: Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Busy season.  Hmmm, that sure is thr right way to describe this time of year.  Sometimes I feel like I'm pulled in a million different directions and by the end of the day my limbs look like Gumby's.  It's this feeling that usually has me pretty resigned to eat whatever boxed rice dish we can find in the back of the pantry when I get home from exercising or a meeting after a long day at work.  It's also this feeling that makes me want to say heck with dieting, let's just order a slice from the pizza spot in our neighborhood.  But even that takes planning and energy.  Ugghhhh!

This is when a good old fashioned casserole comes in handy!  And for you very efficient home cooks, a casserole that comes with its own make ahead tips like this one from Cooking Light.  I made this Sunday evening knowing we'd have plenty for the week ahead when cooking just wouldn't be a priority.  It was delish with a capital D!!!  I skipped on the margarine and just used some olive oil cooking spray when I lightly toasted the rice-and-vermicelli mix - you might as well cut out any additional fat if you can, right!  I also picked up a rotisserie chicken (BBQ flavor for its smokiness) from Bi-Lo and Mark shredded it for me skipping the entire saute the chicken for six minutes step.  I don't really like the texture of reheated cubed chicken, so if I'm making something I know will generate leftover, I use a rotisserie chicken.  I found that by the end of the baking time, the topping wasn't as crispy as I would have liked so I broiled it for a few minutes.  I am telling you, you will not feel like you're eating light when you try this dish.  It was creamy and hearty and just truly yummy!

What's your favorite casserole?  Aside from this one, mine is my dad's tuna casserole.  Mmmmm!

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)
Ingredients
1 (6.9-ounce) package one-third-less-salt chicken-flavored rice-and-vermicelli mix with chicken broth and herbs
1 tablespoon margarine
2 1/4 cups hot water
Vegetable cooking spray
1 1/2 pounds skinned, boned chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup presliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 cup nonfat sour cream
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can reduced-fat, reduced-sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1/4 cup crushed multigrain crackers (about 6 crackers)
1 tablespoon margarine, melted
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

Preparation
Cook rice mix in a large nonstick skillet according to package directions, using 1 tablespoon margarine and 2 1/4 cups hot water. Remove mixture from skillet; set aside. Wipe skillet with a paper towel.

Coat the skillet with cooking spray, and place over high heat until hot. Add chicken, mushrooms, and garlic powder; sauté 6 minutes or until chicken loses its pink color. Combine rice mixture, chicken mixture, sour cream, pepper, and soup in a bowl; stir well. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Combine cracker crumbs, margarine, and poppy seeds; stir well, and sprinkle over chicken mixture. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Make-Ahead Tips: You can assemble the casserole ahead of time, omitting the cracker-crumb mixture; cover and chill in the refrigerator or freeze (thaw frozen casserole overnight in refrigerator). Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes; top with cracker-crumb mixture, and bake as directed.

Nutritional Information
Calories:334 (18% from fat)
Fat:6.8g (sat 1.6g,mono 2.2g,poly 2g)
Protein:32.2g
Carbohydrate:30g
Fiber:0.2g