This week I have been trying to detox from my vacation. I have been jogging, drinking lots of water, limiting caffeine and alcohol and catching up on my sleep…I guess this isn’t any different than how I typically live my life but it seems like I needed to give my healthy lifestyle a little more of an effort.
When I was visiting my Granny I leafed through an issue of Better Homes and Gardens, or I should say one of the many issues she had laying around (she is a collector/hoarder etc..). I am the complete opposite, I have a small magazine rack that can only hold 20 magazines which prompts me to read them and recycle them (I will add that 15 of the magazine’s are Chris’ and the other 5 are mine). If there are recipes I want to try I tear out the page, ad the ingredients to my shopping list, file them in a drawer in my kitchen, and them recycle them after I make them and add them to the blog. I know this makes me sounds like a nut, this is process isn’t something I read about or was told to do, just what feels natural and efficient for me.
Back to my Granny and her clutter addiction…she is probably the reason that I am so good at decluttering and organizing, she has given me lots of practice over the years. She has always known that I love to clean and organize and when I visited her throughout my childhood she would ask me to help her organize her closet, sort through her magazines and books, and declutter her kitchen. We would work hard to create piles and each project would progress along until it was time to take the items that she didn’t want or need to their new home…i.e. the garbage/recycling/goodwill. She always said she was going to take a pile to a friend, mail another pile to her sisters but it NEVER happened. I couldn’t understand why she wanted to go through the effort of getting organized if she didn’t want to follow through and purge, but then again I was probably 10 when I started helping her organize. I learned by the time I was 16 that in order to help her purge I had to load the items that she didn’t want into the trunk of my car and take them with me, something that I continue to do that with my business today.
Okay, back to the recipe that I found in one of her magazines. It appealed to me because it is loaded with veggies (fresh or frozen-your pick), whole grains, and a creamy cheesy sauce. This would be a great dinner option that you can easily make ahead and freeze and your family will enjoy.
- 3 cups chopped cooked chicken
- 1 14-oz. pkg. fresh or frozen broccoli florets
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1.5 cups frozen peas
- 1 10.75-oz. can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 10.75-oz. can condensed fiesta nacho cheese soup
- 1 10- to 10.5-oz. can diced tomatoes and green chilies
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 oz.)
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (2 oz.)
- 1 cup crushed crackers
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place chicken in bottom of a 13x9x2-inch baking dish or 3-quart rectangular casserole.
- In large bowl combine broccoli, rice, and peas. Spread mixture over the chicken.
- In medium bowl combine cream of chicken soup, nacho cheese soup, diced tomatoes, milk, and crushed red pepper.
- Stir in 1/4 cup of the cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese.
- Pour mixture over broccoli mixture in baking dish. Sprinkle crushed crackers evenly over all. Top with remaining cheddar and mozzarella cheeses.
- Bake, uncovered, 35 to 40 minutes or until topping is golden.
- Makes 8 to 10 servings.
If you have a chicken casserole that is a staple in your weekly menu I would love to hear about it! Have a wonderful weekend and don’t forget to stop by my Estate Sale tomorrow.
gil says
Yum, this makes me so hungry! Too bad my husband is not a lover of all things cheesy (which I am).
Betty Kaufman says
It's so wonderful for all of us that your granny was a collector. If she hadn't been, you might not have become an organizer, and we would all be much worse off. Thanks Amanda!
jennibell says
This sounds delicious! Unfortunately we have one with a dairy intolerance, making casseroles very difficult for us. . .but I may try this and make him a separate meal that night. Thanks for all your recipe posts! Yes, I have a favorite chicken recipe, but it's not a casserole. I blogged about it earlier this summer. Let me know what you think!
http://jennisseasons.blogspot.com/2011/06/our-go-to-grill-meal.html
Good luck at your estate sale today.
Kathy says
Sounds like you and Granny are a great match. How wonderful for her to teach you such good organizational skills.
Sorry to say I would say I was more like Granny. Love the receipe I have made it in the past and simply forgot how good it is. Thanks for sharing. I have come over from Stuff and Nonsense great post. Drop by for a visit. Kathy
Chef in Training says
YUM! I featured you today at Mouth-Watering Mondays! Come Check it out and grab a button if you would like!
-Nikki
http://chef-n-training.blogspot.com/
Tanya says
This looks so tasty. I am pretty sure all my kids will enjoy this. I pinned it so I don't lose it:)
laura@imnotatrophywife.com says
Yummy!!! xo, laura@imnotatrophywife.com
Lisa says
This recipe looked so yummy, I bookmarked it to try. Because of a hectic schedule and picky kids, I changed it a lot, but linked back here for the original! Thanks for posting it!