Recipe: Low-Fat Chicken and Rice Casserole

I've been brainstorming new ways to use chicken to serve to my brother and I figured a casserole is something he'd enjoy. The leftovers also can be used to pack my boyfriend and brother's lunch the next day.

I imagine this would be a great frozen make-ahead meal also. This definitely feels like an indulgent meal but I used skim milk, flour and vegetable oil for the thickener instead of butter and cream. The rice was pre-cooked brown rice.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

Ingredients
2 Chicken Breasts (cubed)
1/2 Sweet Onion (chopped)
3 cloves Garlic (minced)
1 cup Frozen Sweet Peas
1/2 cup Fresh or Frozen Corn
1/2 Russet Potato (diced)
3 cups Brown Rice (cooked)
3 cups Skim Milk
2 tsp Vegetable Oil
2 tsp All-Purpose Flour
2 Tbsp White Wine

2 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Dried Thyme
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
1 cup Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese *Optional

1. Heat a deep skillet on medium-high heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray
2. Season the cubed chicken breast with salt, pepper and paprika
3. Brown the chicken in the skillet on all sides for a 1-2 minutes (does not have to be cooked through and I did it in batches)
4. Add wine to deglaze the pan picking up the brown bits from caramelizing the chicken with a wooden spatula
5. Lower the heat to medium
6. Add oil to the pan and sprinkle the flour in the oil (the roux)
7. Cook the roux for 1-2 minutes or until it's brown
8. Whisk in skim milk until roux is nicely incorporated with the milk
9. Slowly add in the onions, garlic, chicken, corn, peas, potatoes, and thyme to the thickened milk
10. Incorporate everything thoroughly and season with salt and pepper to taste
11. Lower heat to low. Cover the mixture and allow the flavors to meld together for 20 minutes stirring it every few minutes
12. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
13. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray
14. In a mixing bowl, fold half the chicken mixture with the rice
15. Layer this rice on the bottom of the baking dish
16. Top the dish with the rest of the chicken mixture and sprinkle with cheese (optional)
17. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until the top is bubbly and golden
18. Allow the casserole to rest at room temperature a few minutes before serving

My casserole resting at room temperature (our house smelled heavenly)

I served it alongside a simple garden salad and sauteed zucchini and green beans