Creamy Chicken and Rice

Ok, sometimes you just have to go for easy comfort food.  I first had a version of this on a school camping trip.  If you can make it over an open flame, it isn't that hard.

This time, I opted for a wild rice blend from the bins at Sprouts, but a box of pilaf is how I was introduced to this dish.  I was originally going to use my last can of store-bought canned chicken, but used some of the failed seals from the canning session instead.  You can also use leftovers.  Cooked chicken is nice to have on hand, in whatever form you keep it.

At its most basic, this is a pantry meal, but I jazzed it up a tiny bit with fresh onion and celery since I wasn't using a box flavor packet.  I also ended up dumping the peas into it instead of cooking a side veggie, as originally planned.  It was an open bag, so might as well.

1 Tb olive oil or butter
*1 C diced onion
*2 ribs celery, diced
1 C wild rice blend, or box mix like pilaf
1-1/2 C water or chicken broth, plus more to thin
*2 C shredded chicken, or one 10-12 oz can
*1 can cream of chicken soup
salt and pepper to taste
frozen peas or other small veggie, optional

1.  In a large pot or soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the diced onion and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add rice and toast, stirring to coat all the grains.

2.  Add water or broth, bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.  Some brands and blends will require more water or a longer cooking time.

3.  Stir in chicken and veggies, if using.  Stir in cream of chicken soup and enough water or broth to thin to desired consistency.  Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.  Since I didn't use a box mix, the chicken wasn't salted, and I found a no-salt cream of chicken, I actually added quite a lot.  Still, I would rather add it myself than have every element of the casserole bring more sodium to the party.  Serve hot.

Difficulty rating  π