Recipe for the Chicken Artichoke Rice Casserole

I was asked to add the recipe for the Chicken Artichoke and Rice Casserole from the Mennonite Girls Can Cook Blog as some have had trouble finding the link I posted. So here is the recipe I used to make last nights dinner. Again thank you to the Mennonite Girls Can Cook for the recipe it was simply wonderful.


White Sauce*

• 6 Tbsp. margarine or butter
• 6 Tbsp. flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper ( I often use Montreal Steak Spice)
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk

*2 cans of undiluted cream of chicken soup can be substituted for the white Sauce.

Casserole:

• 1 1/2 cups julienne cut (2 x 1/4 x 1/4") carrots
• 1/2 cup julienne cut green peppers
• 1/2 cup julienne cut red or yellow peppers
• 1/3 cup green onions cut into 1" strips
• 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 2 1/2 cups cooked chicken cut into strips
• 3 or 4 strips bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
• 8 oz. shredded cheese ( mozzarella or Swiss or Montery jack or combination)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked white rice*
• 1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice*
• 1 or 2 14 oz. cans artichoke hearts, drained, and sliced
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Dried parsley flakes

* I cook 1 cup of a rice blend (found at Costco) which cooks up to 3 cups rice.

For Sauce:

1. Melt margarine in medium saucepan over medium heat (or in microwavable bowl) Stir in flour, salt and pepper.
2. Cook until mixture is smooth and bubbly, stirring constantly.
3. Gradually add milk and chicken broth, and cook stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens. (or cook for one minute intervals in microwave, stirring well after each interval)

For the Casserole:

1. Heat oven to 350º. Grease 9x13" baking dish.
2. In large skillet over medium high heat, cook and stir carrots, and peppers in 1 Tbsp. butter until crisp tender, adding green onions about half way.
3. Stir in white sauce, 1/2 cup milk, sherry, chicken, bacon and cheese. Blend well and remove from heat.
4. Combine white and wild rice and spread evenly over bottom of greased baking dish.
5. Arrange artichokes over rice.
6. Spoon chicken/sauce mixture evenly over artichokes. (Dish can be covered at this point and refrigerated up to 24 hours)
7. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and parsley
8. Bake covered for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until casserole is thoroughly heated and begins to brown.

Chicken Artichoke and Rice Casserole

(My Picture)
Looks almost as good as the recipe blog picture I think

Well all your prayers, my prayers and sending me some luck worked...I accomplished my first casserole...Thank you goes out to the blog of Mennonite girls can cook Your recipe was so easy to follow and the helpful hints with the white sauce made it so quick and easy. Thank you!!!

It turned out so good. We love artichoke hearts so I went with the 2 cans as it was called for 1 to 2 and I used their suggestion of undiluted cream of chicken soup instead of making my own white sauce as I was short on time.

I also made my first NON plain white bread. I used the box mix of sourdough and it turned out ok didn't rise as much as I thought it should but tasted great with the casserole, as I timed it to be done as soon as casserole was done. So hot buttered sourdough was a nice touch to complete dinner.

Stay tuned for more posts of our cooking's. Who knows what we will be cooking up next. Tomorrow is another day off and a rainy day so maybe I will break out the cookbooks again. Hope and pray all is well with you and if you have time drop us a line, or send us a recipe to try and post...
GOD BLESS

Second Bread

Well I finally got to make a loaf of bread truly from scratch. Greg stopped off at the market on the way home and picked up some actual DRY MILK...He is the best hubby. So yesterday after work I put all the ingredants into the bread machine set the time and prayed. The Lord blessed us with a PERFECT loaf of bread. No sunken places, no over baked spots, PERFECT. We of course had slices of hot bread right from the machine, covered in butter and cheese slices for dessert last night. I am truly loving my bread machine and cant wait till Wednesday or Thursday to try making rolls or pizza crust or french bread something besides White bread. It is time to venture out. Wish me luck on the bread.

Should you have time in the wishing me luck department I will need some luck for tomorrow's dinner in which I will be making my first casserole. I know you must be thinking first casserole she must be kidding everyone makes a casserole. WELL...I must say it is my first. I found a wonderful recipe on a blog I follow called...Mennonite girls can cook... This blog has helped me venture out of my little taco, chicken, hamburger, shell. So tomorrow we will be having (I pray)

"Chicken Artichoke and Rice casserole"(Photo Taken From Their Blog)

This just looks and sounds delicious so Greg and I decided this was going to be a dish to try. I will tell you all about it tomorrow night.
Hope you are all staying dry from the rain or snow and that the LORD has blessed your day.

First Bread

Well, I have ventured into uncharted water..I bought a bread machine and attempted to make my first loaf of bread. I recall growing up in a house where I used to watch my mom mix the dough watch it rise on the counter and then watching her roll it out into all different kinds of bread. Rolls, pretzels, pizza dough to your basic white sandwich style bread loaves. I must admit I am VERY VERY timid when it comes to yeast. I am terrified to do anything that calls for yeast. Well I decided that since I wanted to learn cooking more, stop eating out and eat healthier for not just myself but for my family. SOO I took my Christmas money and bought a bread maker.

Today my hubby Greg went to the store for me as I was doing laundry and cleaning house. I sent him with a small list of Bread Flour (Recommended for bread machines), Active Fast Rising Yeast, and Dry Instant Milk. My wonderful hubby came home with Bread Flour, Active Fast Rising Yeast, Canned Milk, and a box of Country White Bread mix where you just add water. As I unpacked the bags I soon found no dry instant milk box but found canned milk. I asked where the dry milk was and he said I bought two cans of it isn't that it. I explain to my hubby "Honey you know the box that your mom used to buy when you were a kid. Mostly was a red white and blue box that said Carnation Instant Milk. You just add water to the flakes, tasted terrible but parents still made you drink it" He responses with NO..I couldn't stop laughing and thinking ok how many other kids didn't have to drink this as a kid. Was I the only one punished to have to drink this???

But all is not lost. Since Greg brought me a box mix I was able to still try out my new machine. As I put the mix together and load the machine I watch and wait. Every few minutes check on it and peak through the window. Blessedly my manual has a break down for all us watched pot people that breaks down the time and what the machine is doing at that time.

Three hours later and a little sunk in but smelling GOOD. We are ready to taste it. It was very very good. Nice and warm with melted butter. I am looking forward to learning more and making it without a mix. But for the first time I am very happy and blessed my hubby bought a mix.