CLASSIC CHICKEN-RICE BAKE

I think all cooks have their own version of this baked chicken and rice recipe. Some people use cream soups, some use broth, but they all call for baking chicken and rice together in the oven. This is our version (my favorite part is the rice). I usually put in tons more chicken than the recipe calls for, because it is a "freebie" way of making sandwich fixings (not to mention, chicken cooked this way has a wonderful flavor).
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4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons chicken bullion granules
1 cup raw long grain white rice
½ teaspoon black pepper
¾ teaspoon poultry seasoning (see note)
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped celery
16 ounce bag frozen peas and carrots
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Brown the chicken breasts in a couple tablespoons of butter then set them aside. In the same pan that you browned the chicken in, saute the onion and celery until tender, then stir in the raw rice (you stir in the rice so that it will get coated with butter and not stick together while baking). Once the rice has sauteed for a minute or so, add the soup, stock, chicken bullion and spices. Whisk until smooth. Pour this mixture into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish and stir to distribute the rice evenly. Set the browned chicken on top of the rice (push it down into the liquid a little) and top the whole casserole with frozen peas and carrots. Cover tightly and bake at 325F for 1½ hours (if the chicken breasts are large).
 

NOTE: I don't buy poultry seasoning because I use it so seldom and it goes to waste. Instead, I use equal parts of dry rosemary, rubbed sage leaf and thyme leaves and a pinch of marjoram. I grind these together then measure ¾ teaspoon.SEE VIDEO TUTORIAL >>