Chicken and Mushroom Casserole is a slightly modern take on the classic childhood comfort meal most of us have grown up on. A while back, I got tempted by one of those online meat boxes that come overnight and come frozen. Honestly, I have enjoyed them in the past, though it can be hard to get through all the selections for a single person. This time I was very disappointed as the quality and selection were not great. I got ground beef in the box, a package of ribs, and 3 packages of boneless chicken thighs. That was it. For the amount of money I had spent, it was a total rip-off. Being a chicken breast guy, the thighs have been sitting in my freezer for a while now, as I just couldn’t figure out what to do with them. One day, my mother’s classic version of the baked chicken and rice casserole popped into my mind for some reason. Usually, it was cooked with big chicken breasts. But how about some chicken thighs?
Now I know most people have had this classic recipe growing up. I know I did many times as it is pretty easy and quick to put together. My mother, who was busy with 4 boys, was always searching for any meal she could put together with little effort. This casserole has been a staple for American households since it was first published for Campbell’s soup as a way to promote their cans of mushroom soup. The basic recipe only has four ingredients and bakes up wonderfully. Though, being a mushroom lover, I always wanted more mushrooms than the little bits of mushrooms in the soup.
This version of Chicken and Mushroom casserole adds a bunch of mushrooms sautéed in a bit of butter before adding to this classic casserole. And a bit of extra flavor and color of some green onions on top makes a great finish to this family favorite. Though it does take a minute or two to sauté the mushrooms, it adds that extra something that makes this casserole a step above.
Back to those chicken thighs, I was pleasantly surprised that the thighs were cooked perfectly in this Chicken and Mushroom Casserole. With the added mushrooms, I might actually say they were fantastic. The more robust flavor of the thighs blended with the flavors of the onion soup mix and mushrooms beautifully come together, and I’m a huge fan of them in this dish. The thighs cooked up moist and tender. In fact, it is the perfect way to cook them. Who knew?
Disneyland opened this morning for the first time in over a year. Personally, it was mesmerizing to watch as grown men and women were openly sobbing from something that we all took for granted would always be open. It is the beginning signs of our world slowly coming out of this global catastrophe. I must admit I got a bit emotional, too. Please be kind to others and think about your actions and choices as it affects more than yourself. We will all get through this if we do. That’s all for now, till next week.
Chicken and mushrooms baked with rice in a casserole. This is a mushroom-filled version of a classic, comfort food at its best.
- 4 -6 chicken thighs or breasts bone-in or boned, skin removed, thawed or fresh.
- Ground black pepper
- 8 oz mushrooms sliced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 envelope dried onion soup mix
- 1 cup long-grained white rice
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 10 oz can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- ½ cup sliced green onions
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Preheat the oven to 325°
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Butter or coat with cooking spray a 13 by 9 casserole dish or its equivalent size.
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Place the chicken pieces into the prepared casserole dish in a single layer.
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Season with some black pepper. You don’t need salt as there is plenty in the onion soup mix and the mushroom soup.
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In a medium skillet, sauté the mushrooms in the butter until just beginning to brown.
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Spread the mushrooms over the chicken in the casserole dish.
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Sprinkle the onion soup mix over the mushrooms.
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Stir together the mushroom soup and the water.
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Pour the soup mixture over the chicken and rice mixture.
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Sprinkle the sliced green onions evenly over the top.
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Cover the casserole dish with an oven-safe lid or seal well with foil.
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Bake for 90 minutes or until the rice is cooked through. (High altitude may take 5-10 minutes more.)
