Fast and Easy Chicken Casserole

Yesterday was a full day. Full with the good work of ministry, which doesn't often stay within the 9-5 working hours. Full with a long slate of phone calls - scheduling, organizing, planning, arranging. Full with an evening youth event.

All of these things added up to one requirement: easy dinner!

This is an adapted recipe from one my mom used to make when I was a kid and life got busy. It takes less than 15 minutes to prepare, and because the recipe can use frozen chicken, we almost always have the ingredients on hand. After 40 minutes - 1 hour to bake, bam! (as our friend Emeril would say) - dinner is done!

It's not super-fancy, but it's comforting, delicious, and nutritious, too. There are lots of variations you can add for fun and flavor, if you're in the mood. We make a huge dish of it so that we can eat its leftovers all week. Because if there's one thing better than an easy dinner, it's an easy dinner that translates into several more easy dinners.

Now, without further ado: Fast and Easy Chicken Casserole


Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray or butter
2-3 pounds chicken breast, cut into tenders (frozen is fine)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (both Glutino and Progressive make one that is gf)
1 c. chicken or veggie broth (we used turkey broth)
1 1/4 c. rice (we used brown basmati)
1 c. spinach or broccoli, rinsed and drained
1 t. Lawry's seasoning salt
1 t. cracked black pepper
1 t. garlic (unless you have raging pregnancy heartburn, then omit this)
1 t. parseley

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 13 x 9 glass pan
3. Lay chicken flat in the pan, avoiding any overlap
4. Pour mushroom soup and broth over chicken
5. Add spinach
6. Add seasonings and spices
7. Add rice
8. Cook for 40 minutes to 1 hour, depending on thickness of chicken, until chicken is slightly browned, rice is cooked, and chicken's juices run clear

What's your go-to fast and easy recipe?