Casserolin' with Chef Max

Chicken 🐔 Broccoli 🥦 Rice 🍚 Casserole

To be honest, this recipe was a happy accident. We knew we had chicken, broccoli, and rice in the kitchen, and my suggestion of a goopy, scrumptious casserole seemed perfect until we realized we didn't have one key ingredient for most goopy, scrumptious casseroles - a "cream of something (chicken, mushroom, celery)" soup. 

We Googled and found several promising possibilities for replicating the piping hot dish of comfort we were craving. Chef Max went to work, reviewing the recipes and then adding, subtracting, and refining until he created this completely satisfying meal-in-itself.

Give it a try, and let us know if you like it!

Ingredients

3 cups cooked rice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large boneless chicken breasts (approximately 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 pounds), chopped into bite-size pieces

salt, to taste

fresh ground pepper, to taste

1 diced white or yellow onion

3-4 cups chopped fresh broccoli

1 tablespoon celery seed

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

2 teaspoons minced garlic

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups milk, warmed over a very low heat (do not boil)

2 teaspoons Lawry's Seasoning Salt (or your favorite all-purpose seasoning)

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper (or to taste)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup graved or shaved parmesan cheese

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Coat a 13"x9" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Salt and pepper chicken to taste.
4. Add vegetable oil to a large pan or Dutch oven and place over medium-high heat.
5. Add chicken and cook, stirring, until lightly browned and just cooked through.
6. Transfer cooked chicken to a large bowl and set aside.
7. Add onion, broccoli, celery seed, and poppy seed to the same pan and cook, stirring occasionally for several minutes until the broccoli is bright green and just slightly softened.
8. Add garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes.
9. Transfer to the same bowl with the chicken.
10. Melt butter in the same pan over low heat.
11. Add the flour and cook, whisking, for about 2 minutes.
12. Gradually whisk in the warm milk.
13. Continue to cook, whisking, until thickened.
14. Add seasoning salt and fresh ground pepper and stir to combine.
15. Remove the pan from the heat and add the mozzarella and cheddar cheese, whisking until the cheese has melted.
16. Add the cooked rice and the cheese sauce to the bowl with the cooked vegetables and chicken and stir to combine.
17. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
18. Sprinkle parmesan and bread crumbs over the mixture.
19. Cover with parchment and foil and bake for 30 minutes. 
20. After 30 minutes, remove the parchment and foil, set oven to BROIL, and cook for another 2 minutes until the topping is golden brown.
21. Let stand for 5-10 minutes (so it's not scorching hot) and then dig in!