Dinner

It's getting dark early, and that winter chill has hit with full force. Evenings at our house are full of activity - kids heading to this or that, homework that needs checking, and all the other day to day stuff that I fall behind on far too easily.

As a result I am ashamed that lately our family dinners have been an afterthought. It's one of my goals to build up a good variety of recipes that are enjoyable and require very little prep and planning. Tonight's dinner definitely fell into that category! Maybe it took 15 minutes to prep, and then it went into the oven and I was able to attend to other business. It's a combination of several other recipes, and of course I added my own personal touches too.



Easy Cheesy Chicken & Rice

Ingredients:
1-1/2 c. uncooked white rice (regular, not instant)
1 can evaporated milk
2 c. stock or broth (I used homemade turkey stock)
1 c. water
2 t. garlic powder
1 t. Worchestershire sauce
1 T. basil
1 t. oregano
2 t. crushed red pepper
10-12 pieces chicken breast tenderloin (or 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breast pieces)
salt & pepper
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. In a 9x13 casserole dish combine rice, evaporated milk, stock, water, Worchestershire, garlic, basil, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Gently stir with a fork. Arrange chicken (mine was still frozen) in casserole and season with salt & pepper.

Cover casserole dish tightly with foil and bake at 350. Stir gently every 30 minutes or so, turning chicken and making sure that rice is cooking evenly (it tends to stick to the bottom of the dish). After an hour and 15 minutes stir in 1-1/2 c. cheddar cheese. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, re-cover, and bake for another 15 minutes or until rice is cooked. Remove foil and broil for 5-10 minutes or until top begins to brown.

Serve hot, with bread and salad. Enjoy!