Rice and Chicken Casserole

A friend of mine told me recently that most of my recipes are baked and easy to make. I never realized that eventually anything I make has to end up in the oven and I really love it. I am a very impatient person and love cooking anything that requires little time but is equally tasty too. This dish too is another easy recipe that your family will love. A one pot meal that will cater to everybody's needs at the dinner table! I recommend this to all those busy mom's out there who has to do all the cooking herself, manage the house, kids and rush out the door to meet the never ending demands at office too. This creamy flavorful casserole is my aunt's recipe, so Thank You Vimala Kochamma. I have to mention that my young toddler loved it and had a whole portion by himself too. This recipe serves four people so double the recipe while cooking for a dinner party.

You will need:

Chicken Breasts - 250 gms or 2 cups when cooked and shredded

Mushrooms cubed - 200 gm

Capsicum chopped - 1

Cooked Basmati or any Long Grain Rice - 2 cups

Onion chopped - 1 Large

Basil Leaves - 5 Fresh ones

Ginger grated - 1 inch

Flour - 1/3 cup

Butter - 1/4 cup

Milk - 1 1/2 cups

Chicken stock got from cooking the chicken - 1 1/2 cups

Salt and Pepper - To Taste

Cook the chicken breast with water, salt, pepper, ginger and basil leaves.

Strain the liquid and keep aside 1 1/2 cups of it. This is your Chicken Stock needed in the recipe.

Shred the cooked chicken.

Sauté the chopped capsicum and mushrooms in a dry pan for about 3 minutes. Keep aside. (Keep a few aside for garnish).

In another pan, melt the butter with half a teaspoon of oil (This prevents the butter from burning).

Sauté the chopped onion in the butter until it turns transparent.

Add the plain flour and stir for another 30 seconds.

Remove from fire. Add the milk, chicken stock and the seasoning.

Put it back on the flame stirring all the time with a wire whisk until the mixture thickens to a thick pour-able sauce. Remove from flame.

Add the sautéed mushrooms, capsicum, shredded chicken and the cooked rice and very gently stir everything together.

Bake in a preheated oven for about 40 minutes at 180C.

Serve hot. Garnish with some chopped and sautéed capsicum and mushrooms.