Wild Rice Casserole

Recipe Source: Betty Maithonis

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons salad oil
3 tablespoons chopped onion
1 pound lean ground beef
1 10 1/2-ounce can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup water
3/4 teaspoon celery salt
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 cup wild rice, cooked according to package directions, without salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Saute onion in oil in large skillet. Add ground beef and brown. Drain off grease. Stir in soup, water, seasonings, and cooked wild rice. Pour into a buttered casserole dish. Bake covered for 30 minutes.

Serves 6.

Western Casserole

Recipe Source: Cookingfor7 / recipezaar.com

Prep/Cooking Time: 1¼ hours

Ingredients:

1 lb cooked lean ground beef, seasoned with taco seasoning
1 (10 ounce) can Rotel Tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can ranch style beans
8 ounces tomato sauce
3/4 cup Minute Rice, uncooked
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:

If cooking right away, pre-heat oven to 350°F.

Combine all ingredients except 1/2 cup cheese in a large casserole dish and bake for 45 minutes.

Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for another 15 minutes.

Nicki’s Notes:

If you are like I am, and prefer not to use “instant” rice products (like Minute Rice), simply cook your rice beforehand until about 3/4 of the way done and then add to casserole and follow the rest of the instructions.

Also, with the seasoning, I use anywhere from 1/2 to a whole packet per pound of beef.

Chicken Tetrazzini

Recipe Source: Jean Kressy, “Relish the American Table, May 21, 2006 / relishmag.com

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter
1 (8-ounce) package sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can lower-sodium chicken broth
1 1/3 cups half-and-half
3 tablespoons dry sherry
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 cups (1 pound) cooked boneless, skinless chicken cut in strips
1/2 pound spaghetti, broken in half and cooked according to package directions
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Heat oven to 425F. In a large nonstick skillet melt butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Sprinkle with flour and toss to combine. Add broth and half-and-half; cook, stirring often, until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in sherry, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat and stir in chicken.

Combine spaghetti and chicken mixture; toss gently and spoon into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish or shallow 3-quart baking dish or casserole; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Serves 6.