BROWN RICE AND BROCCOLI CASSEROLE RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease 10-inch round baking dish with olive oil; set aside.
• Microwave frozen broccoli on microwavable plate uncovered on High 4 minutes; set aside.
• In 10-inch skillet, heat a few teaspoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook until golden on outsides and no longer pink in center. Remove chicken to plate. Add onion to the still-hot pan; season with salt, and cook until onion begins to soften and become translucent. Add garlic; cook 60 seconds. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, followed by flour, and stir to make a roux. Cook the roux 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly golden. Gradually beat in the chicken broth with whisk, followed by the milk, and simmer until slightly thickened into a gravy.
• Either in the skillet (if large enough), or a large mixing bowl, mix the chicken, gravy, broccoli, brown rice, and half of the cheese. Pour mixture into baking dish. In small bowl, mix bread crumbs and melted butter; add remaining cheese, and spread the mixture on top of casserole.
• Bake about 20 minutes or until top is crisp and golden and casserole is bubbling around edges. Let sit a few minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Place onion, brown rice, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, dried thyme, salt and pepper in bottom of slow cooker.
• Pour in broth and stir until well combined.
• Add chicken to the slow cooker. Sprinkle chicken with additional black pepper.
• Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours, until chicken is cooked through and rice has absorbed almost all of the broth. In my slow cooker this took 3 hours on high.
• When the slow cooking time is almost finished, cook the broccoli. You can steam it on the stove or in the microwave, or roast it in your oven. (It is also possible to cook the broccoli in the slow cooker by adding it on top of the rice and chicken during the last hour of cook time. If you slow cook the broccoli it will lose its vibrant green color. I get best results when I steam the broccoli on the stove.)
• When chicken and rice are done, remove chicken to a cutting board.
• Add the plain Greek yogurt (if using), Parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese to the rice in the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
• Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and add to the slow cooker along with the cooked broccoli. Stir and serve.