Mimi's Chicken and Rice Casserole

Happy Sunday, friends!  I said I was going to try to get back to blogging on May 1st, and it has only taken me two months to make a second post...I guess that is what happens after baby number three.  I am going to share a SUPER EASY chicken and rice casserole recipe with you guys tonight.  My best friend Katie got the recipe from her mother-in-law, who her babies call "Mimi," and she makes it all the time for her family.  I recently tried it over here, and it has now joined our meal rotation, because my kids (and Phil and I) LOVE IT, and it only takes me 15 minutes to prep!  WIN-WIN!

Mimi's Chicken and Rice Casserole

From the Store:

Pack of boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used 3 breasts, and I like Publix Greenwise)

Box of Uncle Ben's long grain and wild rice

1 can of french style green beans drained (I used 1.5 this time so my kids would get more!)

1 can cream of celery

1 can cream of chicken

1 can chicken broth

salt and pepper

Tony Chachere's seasoning (to add a little kick!)

1. Wash and cut up the chicken (I wear gloves and use meat scissors.  This was the most time consuming part of the recipe.)  Place in a mixing bowl.

2. Add the cream of chicken, rice (and seasoning packet), cream of celery, chicken broth and drained green beans to the bowl.

3. Mix everything together and add salt and pepper to taste.  If you like an extra little kick, add Tony Cachere's seasoning as well (or you can just sprinkle a little on top in the dish... my kids surprisingly love it...maybe because they are used to tasting it in jambalaya!)

4. Grease a 9 by 13 dish and pour in the mixture.

5. Cook at 375 for 30 minutes covered and 35-40 minutes uncovered (depending on your oven.)

6. Enjoy!  All 3 of my kids love this meal (I had to finally stop feeding Cason, because he kept asking for more.)

 Recipe Card:
1. Wash and cut up the chicken and place in a mixing bowl.
2. Add the cream of chicken, cream of celery, chicken broth and drained green beans to the bowl.

3. Mix everything together and add salt and pepper to taste.  If you like an extra little kick, add Tony Cachere's seasoning as well.

4. Grease a 9 by 13 dish and pour in the mixture.

5. Cook at 375 for 30 minutes covered and 35-40 minutes uncovered (depending on your oven.)

6. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Angel Chicken

Hello, friends!  I was just looking back at my last blog post, and I cannot believe that it was over a year ago.  How has it been that long?  I started that post by saying that I planned to get back into blogging, and as you can see, that did not happen.  The last bit of pregnancy and adjusting to life as a mom of three left me with not much free time (or energy to be honest!) These past several months, though, I have gotten into a nice routine with my three, and now that the hubby and I finished all five seasons of "Breaking Bad" last week, my evenings are free again. I plan to share some of our favorite recipes and also some mama stuff.  Thank you for reading! :)

I have been learning to cook as I go these past few years, so many of the recipes I blog are from friends (or something I find online that looks good.)  Sometimes I change the recipes, and I try to share the easiest ways to make them (and also whether or not picky toddlers will eat them!)  Tonight, I made a slow cooker angel chicken recipe that a friend shared on Facebook, and it was a HUGE hit (link to the original recipe at the bottom of the post.) Two of my three kids LOVED it (and the third wouldn't try it and went to bed hungry, because he didn't like the way the sauce looked on the chicken. I mean, really...)  It was not the healthiest thing I have ever made, but of course not, because it was SO DELICIOUS! I think you could definitely substitute some of the ingredients for healthier versions, but I wanted to make it the yummiest way the first time. Also, the prep time was LESS THAN 15 MINUTES, so it is already a winner.

Slow Cooker Angel Chicken

From the Store:

2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used Publix Greenwise)

1/2 cup butter melted (I used Greenwise salted organic)

1.5 oz dry Italian seasoning mix

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup chicken broth 

8 oz package cream cheese

2 cans cream of mushroom soup 

1 box angel hair pasta 

From your Kitchen:

slow cooker 

mixing bowl

1/2 cup measuring cup

1. Place the chicken breasts into the bottom of a greased slow cooker.

2. Melt the butter. In your mixing bowl, mix the butter, white wine, chicken broth, mushroom soup and Italian seasoning together.  Then mix in the cream cheese.  (The cream cheese was a little tough to mix in, but it all mixes together better once heated in the crockpot.)

3. Pour the mixture over the chicken.  Cook on low for 6 hours (or however long it takes your slow cooker to cook the chicken well enough to be shredded.)

4. Shred the chicken and let it cook for another 30 minutes to 1 hour.

5. Boil the angel hair pasta.  (I add in a little olive oil and butter to the noodles.)

6. Serve the sauce over the noodles and ENJOY! (The original recipe has you mixing the noodles in with the sauce, but I prefer to keep it separate since each of my kids likes a difference sauce to noodle ratio, because, mom life is fun...Also, I like to make fresh noodles for leftovers.)

Annie cleared her plate, Cason acted like it was the best thing he had ever eaten (quite possibly true since he has only been eating solids for a week), and Cole pouted about losing Paw Patrol for refusing to even try it...I would say overall a success for our house! (Verdict from Phil is still out, since he has a late meeting, but I LOVED it!)

Recipe Card:

1. Place the chicken breasts into the bottom of a greased slow cooker.
2. Melt the butter. In your mixing bowl, mix the butter, white wine, chicken broth, mushroom soup and Italian seasoning together.  Then mix in the cream cheese.  (The cream cheese was a little tough to mix in, but it all mixes together better once heated in the crockpot.)
3. Pour the mixture over the chicken.  Cook on low for 6 hours (or however long it takes your slow cooker to cook the chicken well enough to be shredded.)
4. Shred the chicken and let it cook for another 30 minutes to 1 hour.
5. Boil the angel hair pasta.  (I add in a little olive oil and butter to the noodles.)

6. Serve the sauce over the noodles and ENJOY! (The original recipe has you mixing the noodles in with the sauce, but I prefer to keep it separate since each of my kids likes a difference sauce to noodle ratio, because, mom life is fun...Also, I like to make fresh noodles for leftovers.)

Slow Cooker Angel Chicken Original Recipe