November 19, 2013
You can tell that I'm ready for another baby in my life. When I carve out time to make a meal like this for lunch on a regular old Tuesday, it means I'm feeling sentimental, domestic, and hungry. (aka: pregnant.) Yes indeed, Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole holds a special place in my heart. It's what I think of when I hear the words "comfort food." So, when I realized we had a bowl of leftover roasted chicken, a head of organic broccoli I had gotten on sale, and plenty of homemade chicken broth all in the fridge at the same time, I knew what I had to do.


This is what a skillet full of comfort food looks like in my eyes. And it's made with real ingredients, so now it's extra comforting. Speaking of comfort-- the other night at dinner time, when Grant was praying before our meal, he was thanking Jesus that we were inside a house, instead of outside somewhere looking for a cardboard box to stay in for the night. It hit me when he said those words, specifically the cardboard box imagery, how horrible that would actually be, and how wonderful we really have it. Thank you, Lord Jesus! For a warm house and hot food every day!

From-Scratch Chicken Broccoli Rice

3 T. olive oil or coconut oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 head organic broccoli, well chopped into small florets and pieces*
2 T. brown rice flour (I use this sprouted kind)
2 cups chicken broth or stock
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups roasted chicken, chopped small
3 cups cooked rice (use 1 cup uncooked rice to get this amount)
2 T. of coconut oil for finishing
optional: 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (this is super flavorful and creamy on it's own, so you really don't miss the cheese, but I understand if the cheese "makes it" for you)

In a cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet, heat oil over med-high heat. Add onion and broccoli and sauté, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and broccoli is tender. Sprinkle rice flour into the skillet and sauté until flour is lightly browned and there is no flour smell, about 2-3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth, stir well, reduce heat to low, and let simmer 5-10 minutes, or until sauce is a bit thickened. Stir well and season generously with salt and pepper. Add in roasted chicken chunks, cooked rice, and coconut oil, and stir well until everything is combined and heated through. Finish with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese, if using. Serve hot and steamy. This makes great leftovers! 

*For me, this step is possibly the most important of the entire process! I try to chop the chicken and broccoli into the same kind of small pieces. I love to have a little broccoli in every bite. And I love that broccoli to be tender. Big stalk-y pieces of broccoli that don't get soft don't belong in this dish. :) Lucinda Scala Quinn loves to say that the making of a great salad is in the chopping. Each ingredient should be the same size, and preferably bite size. I couldn't agree more, and I think that applies perfectly to casseroles like this, too.


Blogged 2 years ago: A Roasted Chicken

7 comments:

Kelly said...

Yum, my mom used to make a baked version of this. This looks really tasty, and is probably healthier!

Unknown said...

this looks so good. i need to give it a try! ps, i love how simple your blog layout is!

perhaps you can help a fellow food blogger out and vote for my mac n cheese in a recipe contest? i'd greatly appreciate it!! :)
http://www.mysteryingredientbloggershowcase.com/?contestants=macaroni-and-cheese

Laura Murphy said...

Yummy, looks so good.

I made such a HUGE batch of your Chicken Chili that I had to freeze some of it for later. I'm still not used to cooking for a small family (the three big kids are in college). It's a great recipe, though. I got the smoky paprika at the Anoka co-op, about 1/2 a cup for under $2.

The cozy warm house is such a blessing! I love to stay inside when it's blustery out. I have to practically sit on my hands these days to not start decorating for Christmas. OK, the truth is I've already started. My daughter and I got creative with chalk after seeing amazing printables on the Knock it Off blog. So beautiful!

Michelle said...

Just came across this somehow and tried it today. It's delicious and so simple. My husband at about three servings so I think it's a winner!

Unknown said...

Wow,wow,wow! I've been trying to find this recipe for months! I used it as a base for a casserole for Thanksgiving. Money was beyond tight so I had to make creativity and what was on hand into a holiday meal. I had frozen fresh asparagus, and leftover shredded mozzarella. My neighbor brought muenster, and we substituted ingredients like nobody's business, rice flour, boiled crackef peppercorns, it was hilarious! We all LOVED (not kidding, no leftovers at all) the result. I thought, 'if I messed it up and it's this good, we've got to make it as written!' Of course. I was supposed to write it down. Of course, I didn't. Two phones, a power outage, and house move later, I've found it! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Added to pocket, Team Android!

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about this blog

Hello, I'm Summer. A people-loving introvert whose hope and life is in Jesus. His promises are my passion and my ministry is homelife. This blog is a place for me to write about everyday things. Especially food. My favorite thing to do is sit around a table, lingering over a long meal with good conversation. I live with my husband and our 2 littles. We like blizzards, thrifting, grammar, guacamole, cheerful hearts, nice manners, good movies, and making simple, real, nutrient-dense food.

"If Christ be anything, He must be everything."
-C.H. Spurgeon

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