Chicken, Mushroom, Broccoli and Rice Casserole

I'll be honest... I am not a huge casserole person. I try to make most of my meals from scratch and I love using fresh ingredients but sometimes you just need a quick and comforting meal. My friend Lori gave me this recipe years ago, when I first met my husband, and it's always a big hit when I make it.

My girlfriend Currié and her family came for dinner and I wanted to celebrate her upcoming birthday with two of her favorite things. My chicken and rice casserole and fresh brownies. I made this casserole for her on her first night home from the hospital after the birth of her son. It's really simple to make, travels well and reheats easily - it also tastes really good! Currié loves this casserole and always gets excited when I make it for her. It was a great evening celebrating a special birthday.

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion
• 1 lb mushrooms quartered
• 1 stalk of celery diced
• 1 box of Farmhouse Long Grain & Wild Rice (or your favorite brand), prepared per instructions
• 2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed (I use left over roasted chicken meat)
• 1 6-8 oz can of sliced water chestnuts, diced
• 1 cup of broccoli florets
• 1 10 3/4 oz can of Cream of Chicken soup
• 1 10 3/4 oz can of Cream of Celery soup
• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare rice per instructions. In a heated pan add 1/2 tbsp oil and cook mushrooms until golden brown - remove from pan. Add the other 1/2 tbsp of oil to the pan and cook onions and celery until soft. Using a steamer, steam broccoli until just fork tender, then cool. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.

Put into a baking dish and heat uncovered for 30 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes prior to serving. Enjoy.

Click here for printable recipe