Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Rice

A few weeks ago, broccoli at the supermarket looked great. I had to buy some. But then what to do with it? My hubs only likes it if it's smothered in cheese. And that got me to thinking about broccoli & cheese with rice and chicken for some protein. Topped with a crust that provides a little crunch in contrast to the savory cheesy center.

In my head it sounded more simple but when I made it it did take a bit because all the pieces need to be cooked together. If I figure out a more efficient way to cook everything, I'll definitely update this recipe. But it's good, freezes well and is worth sharing now. Plus, if you do some of the parts in stages, it's totally manageable.

Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Rice

INGREDIENTS:

• 1-1 1/2 pounds of chicken, cut in bite size pieces
• 1-1 1/2 pounds broccoli (fresh or frozen), cut in bite size pieces (could also mix with roasted cauliflower)
• 1 1/2-2 cups uncooked rice
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2-4 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1-2 TBSP flour
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp mustard powder
• 1 TBSP djon mustard
• 1/4-1/2 cup milk (add a little at a time until consistency reached)
• 2 TBSP butter
• salt & pepper to taste

METHOD:
1) Boil broccoli in water until cooked and tender.
2) Start water to boil in another pan for rice. Once at a boil follow instructions on package.
3) In another pan (do this while broccoli cooks), add butter, onion and garlic. Saute until fragrant.
4) Add chicken and brown (doesn't have to cook all the way through).
5) Add oregano, salt, pepper, mustard powder, and djon mustard and stir well to coat.
6) Sprinkle flour over everything and stir well until combined.
7) Add cheese. Stir.
8) Add milk a little at a time until a good consistency forms for the cheese sauce.
9) When broccoli is done, drain it and set aside in large bowl.
10) When rice is done, add to same bowl as broccoli.
10) Add chicken and cheese sauce to broccoli and rice, then stir well to combine.
11) Pour/place mixture into 13x9 casserole dish.
12) Top with grated parmesan or pecorino romano and breadcrumbs. (can also add French's onions, etc)
13) Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Recipe: Chicken Enchilada Bake

I *love* enchiladas. But they are a pain to make the traditional way. Torn tortillas and heating and saucing. This cuts the time down considerably. Even more of a time saver is if you buy the sauce instead of making it from scratch (Trader Joe's has a great Enchilada Sauce). But of course, from fresh means you can control the salt, the flavors and really make it just how you like it. Plus you can make a lot of it at once, and freeze it until you are ready for another batch.

The Sauce:
1 onion - rough chop
1-3 poblano/ancho peppers (fresh) - depending on how hot you like it
2 large tomatoes
1 can Rotel (or 1 can diced tomatoes + jalapeno)
3-4 garlic cloves
2-3 TBSP oregano
1 small can tomato paste
1 TBSP cumin
1 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Directions:
Slice tomato and put on tray with poblano/ancho peppers. Drizzle with oil and season with a little salt. Put in oven under broiler (low) for 15 minutes to roast and concentrate flavors.

Blend onion, peppers, tomatoes, rotel, garlic and oregano in blender/food processor until smooth. In a saucepan, add tomato paste and saute it for 3-5 minutes to cook it a little (will add a sweetness). Add in mixture from blender/food processor. Add 1 TBSP cumin, 1 TBSP chili powder, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Cook for 1-3 hours on low heat to let flavors develop and meld, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning to your taste.

For Bake:
- Sauce (see above)
- Corn Tortillas (12)
- Mexican Cheese - about 2 cups
- 1 - 1.5 lbs chicken breast
- 1/2 14 oz can low-sodium Chicken Broth
- 1/2 to 1/3 onion diced

Directions:
In saute pan, add a little olive oil and the diced onion. Let soften, then add chicken and enough chicken broth to cover. Season with a little salt and pepper. Cook down until broth evaporates. Shred chicken.

In a 9x13 baking dish, spread a layer of the sauce. Then cover with 6 of the corn tortillas (tip: cut them in half to have a flat edge). Add chicken in even layer, top with coating of sauce and then cheese. Top with the remaining 6 tortillas. Cover with sauce and then cheese.

Bake in a 350F oven for about 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.

Enjoy!

Mushroom Lasagna with Goat Cheese, Broccoli Rabe, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

(From Cook's Illustrated)
If Italian fontina is not available, use whole milk mozzarella rather than a rubbery Danish, Swedish, or American fontina. We like the mushroom sauce made with whole milk, but both skim and low-fat milk are acceptable.

Serves 10 to 12
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms , rinsed well
1 cup water
8 ounces broccoli rabe , washed, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
Table salt
2 pounds portobello mushroom caps (about 10 medium), cleaned and cut into 2- to 3-inch by 1/4-inch slices
4 tablespoons olive oil
Ground black pepper
2 large red onions , chopped medium (about 4 cups)
1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes , rinsed and chopped coarse
8 ounces button mushrooms , cleaned, stems trimmed, and broken into rough pieces
4 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon)
1/2 cup dry vermouth
3 tablespoons unsalted butter , plus additional for greasing pan
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
6 ounces Italian fontina cheese , rind removed and shredded (about 1 3/4 cups)
4 ounces goat cheese , crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
1 1/2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 3/4 cup)
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest from 1 lemon

1. Cover porcinis with water in small microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap, cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife, and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 5 minutes. Lift mushrooms from liquid with fork and roughly chop (you should have about 3 tablespoons). Strain liquid through fine-mesh strainer lined with paper towel into medium bowl. Set mushrooms and liquid aside.

2. Bring 3 quarts water to boil in large saucepan. Add broccoli rabe and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook until crisp tender, about 2 minutes. Drain broccoli rabe and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Squeeze dry and transfer to paper-towel-lined plate.

3. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread portobello mushrooms in even layer on rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, tossing to coat mushrooms evenly; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss again. Roast mushrooms until shriveled and all liquid released from mushrooms has evaporated, about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time. Set mushrooms aside to cool.

4. While portobellos roast, heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are browned around edges, about 10 minutes. Transfer onions to large bowl; stir in broccoli rabe and sun-dried tomatoes and set aside.

5. Meanwhile, process button mushrooms in food processor until uniformly coarsely chopped, about six 1-second pulses, stopping to scrape down bowl as needed. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chopped button mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and all moisture has evaporated, 6 to 8 minutes.

6. Reduce heat to medium and stir in porcini mushrooms, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add vermouth and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.

7. Add butter and cook until melted. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Slowly add reserved porcini soaking liquid, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits. Add milk and nutmeg. Increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce has thickened and reached consistency of heavy cream, 10 to 15 minutes (you should have about 4 cups). Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons parsley and thyme.

8. Combine fontina, goat cheese and Parmesan in medium bowl. Toss cooled portobello mushrooms with onions in large bowl. Place noodles in 13 by 9-inch ovensafe baking dish and cover with hot tap water; let soak 5 minutes, agitating noodles occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on kitchen towel. Wipe baking dish dry and coat with butter.

9. Using rubber spatula, evenly distribute 1 cup mushroom sauce in bottom of baking dish; position 3 noodles on top of sauce. Spread 3/4 cup sauce evenly over noodles followed by 2 cups mushroom-onion mixture and 3/4 cup cheese. Repeat layering of noodles, sauce, mushroom-onion mixture, and cheese two more times. Place 3 remaining noodles on top of last layer of cheese. Spread remaining sauce over noodles and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Lightly spray large sheet of foil with nonstick cooking spray and cover lasagna. Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes.

10. While lasagna is baking, combine remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and 1 teaspoon garlic with basil and lemon zest in small bowl. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees, remove foil from lasagna, and continue to bake until cheese on top becomes spotty brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove lasagna from oven and sprinkle evenly with herb mixture. Cool 15 minutes, then cut into pieces and serve.