Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Recipe Review: Paula's Chicken and Rice Casserole

I mentioned in a previous post that I was going to try a new casserole recipe from Paula Dean. Well, tonight I gave it a try and my comfort food craving was fully satisfied. I give it two thumbs up for taste and versatility, and a regular spot in the Cease Family dinner rotation.

What I really like about this recipe was that it was super easy to modify, and I modified a lot.
I used a rotisserie chicken and shredded the meat.
I used a bag of frozen mixed veggies that I had on hand, plus a handful of broccoli florets.
I cut out the water chestnuts.
I used cream of mushroom soup, about 3-4 oz. of sour cream and just a dollop of mayo. (One of the reviews suggested using sour cream.)
At the last minute, I decided not to add cheese, and topped it off with some Italian style bread crumbs instead. All that to say, you can go FULL Paula, or uh,...lighter Paula, and add veggies and such to your family's liking. I was very happy with the changes. And even happier when Braelyn cleaned her plate, save a few pushed aside peas and onions.

Next week, I think I'm gonna take this basic casserole and give it a whole new twist. I'll let you know how it goes...good or bad. What would this blog be without a few cooking experiments gone wrong?!

2 comments:

carahinojosa said...

I am LOVING this site! I feel like I'm in the kitchen with each one of you. How neat to get a glimpse into each of your kitchens and homes!

mandi said...

eww- good idea leaving out the water chestnuts. those are so weird.

i like recipes like this you that you can tweak. it's nice to learn a good 'skeleton' and then add as you like. and any time the kids clean their plates, it's a good thing!