Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Blanch frozen broccoli in boiling water to thaw. (If you want your broccoli to come out crisp in the finished dish, boil only until thawed. I like mine on the soft side, so I cook it a little longer.) Prepare rice according to directions on box.

Season chicken with seasoned salt and pan fry with a little non-stick spray until no longer pink in the middle. Remove from the pan and let the chicken rest for a few minutes, then slice/chop/shred depending on your preference. In a large casserole dish, mix the broccoli, rice, chicken, and soup together until thoroughly combined. Top with cheese and bake at 400 degrees until the cheese has melted, then top with croutons. Total baking time should be around 30 minutes, depending on the dimensions of your casserole dish (mine is very deep, so your mileage may vary). If you notice the cheese and croutons starting to burn, cover with aluminum foil to finish baking until heated through.

This is a very versatile recipe. If you’re short on time (as I usually am), you can use leftover rice from Chinese take-out and/or rotisserie chicken to speed things along. You can also change up the seasonings on the chicken, the variety of soup, the kind of cheese, etc. This recipe also works well with brown rice.