Review of Chicken and Rice Casserole

As I said before I am doing more crockpot recipes and pulling from the web site A Year of Slow Cooking.

So the first dish up is the Chicken and Rice Casserole.
It was ok, I think I'd give it 2 stars. We had to pull out the BBQ sauce for the girls to eat it.

First off, I had to cook on high. Sorry I don't feel well, dinner is getting started at around 11:30 a.m., not 8 a.m., so I don't have the time to cook on low. Unless I don't want my children to sleep, but that causes all sorts of other problems.
So the chicken was dry. As I made it, I kept looking at going 'I don't think this is enough liquid' and I was right. If I were to make this again, I think I would whip up another half batch of the "soup" and put it on top of the chicken. John says to do that, but split the 1/2 batch so half of it (1/4 of a batch, if you are keeping up) goes on the chicken then, and then the other half (1/4?) goes on about an hour before you are ready to eat.

We might try this again, but it would be completely re-vamped if we did.

Tonight we try the Indian Spiced Lentils with Chicken. Crossing our fingers that it comes out well. (Also being cooked on high.)

Menu Planning and meals I want to try

Ok I would loose my head if it weren't attached to me, so I am going to post here the crockpot meals I want to try over the next month or so. I will review them when we have them, but for now I need a "safe place" to store it.
As some may know I am pregnant with #4 right now. And for those who have known me through other pregnancies, I tend to have complications, and can't do alot. But in the effort of having good, healthy meals, rather than takeout, we will be doing about 4 crockpot meals a week.
All these ideas right now are being pulled from http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/ because she has lots of ideas and I don't need to go anywhere else right now looking.

Starting off tonight we will be having Chicken and Rice Casserole with broiled zucchini on the side.

In the Chicken category

• Pineapple Chicken
• Indian Spiced Lentils with Chicken
• General Tso's Chicken
• Chicken Korma
• BBQ Chicken and cornbread
• Brown Sugar Chicken

Now onto Pork

•  Maple Ham
• Pineapple Pork Tenderloin
• Asian Peanut-butter Pork

Beef and Vegetable I'll have to come back to. Unfortunately I  have to actually go and do things now.

Today's recipe comes from Food.com.
I have made this successfully twice now. Though I admit I have never made it with green beans. I don't normally have plain green beans on hand. I have used the frozen mixed vegetables (green beans, corn, peas, carrots mix) and it has come out delicious. At least adults like it, our girls...not so much, but maybe it's because of how it looks.

Vegan Green Bean Casserole

• 12 ounces green beans *or mixed vegetables*
• 1 1/2 cups French's French fried onions *I used Wegman's Brand, if you are an east coaster*
• 1 1/2 cups soymilk (unsweetened)
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube *Since we are just dairy free not vegan, I just used a chicken bouillion*
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cold water
• 1/2 onion (medium sized, diced) *I used a whole onion*
• 1 carrot *omitted since I used mixed vegetables that had carrots in it*
• 3/4 cup sliced mushrooms *again, I used more*
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon sage
• 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme

Directions:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. heat soy milk and bouillon in a sauce pan, stirring until cube disintegrates. Do not boil or scald the milk.
3. saute onions, carrots and mushrooms in the oil.
4. add salt, pepper, herbs and spices.
5. whisk starch and water well then pour into the pan of milk. Stir well because it thickens fast.
6. add can of green beans, vegetables and about half of the fried onions.
7. pour the mixture into a casserole dish and top with the rest of the onions.
8. bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the onions begin to brown.

In our oven it takes 15 minutes. And if you are making more, or even this much, make sure that there is enough cornstarch that it starts to thicken. Otherwise you end up with vegetables in milk, and if you transport it, it might leak milk all over your car trunk, not that that happened to us or anything (Hello? Delta Sonic, yes I'd like to bring my car in for a full exterior and interior cleaning. You include trunk correct?)