Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole

Every year I make the same side dish to take to Thanksgiving, and I never seem to get tired of it. Maybe because Thanksgiving is the only time I make it, but it is just so damn good! This year I decided to make a change to it though, by making the condensed cream of chicken soup from scratch, rather than buying the canned stuff. It was so easy and tasted SO GOOD! I can't say I'll never buy the canned stuff again, because sometimes old habits die hard (and I rarely use it anyway), but it was so easy to make my own that I can't think of a good excuse not to. My brothers never eat this dish because it has broccoli and even after 37 years, they still think it is evil and refuse to ingest it. But hey, that just leaves more for the rest of us!!

Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole

Ingredients

• 4 cups instant rice
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups condensed cream of chicken soup (recipe below)
• 16 oz velveeta cheese (I used two 8 oz blocks, so  you can adjust to your liking)
• 1 bag of frozen broccoli (16 oz)
• salt & pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Cook rice in chicken broth in a large pot, according to package instructions.
2. Meanwhile make cream of chicken soup. Once done, cut velveeta into cubes and stir into soup (in batches), cooking over low heat until cheese is melted. Add cheese to your desired cheesiness.
3. Pour soup mixture and broccoli into rice pot and stir until well blended.
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour mixture into 13x9 casserole dish and bake for 15-20 minutes until heated through.

Homemade Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
Source: Tammy's Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp parsley flakes
• dash of paprika
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup flour

Preparation

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, boil chicken broth, 1/2 cup of the milk, and the seasonings for a minute or two (longer if using fresh onions or garlic).
2. In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup of milk and flour. Add to boiling mixture adn continue whisking briskly until mixture boils and thickens.