Take Out Casserole

I hope you all had a very nice Easter yesterday, surrounded by those you love, celebrating everything Spring and new life among us has to offer. And I guess my only question is "Are you tired of ham yet?" Did you get your fill or are you planning a week of leftovers? If you don't care to see another ham for quite a while, then you are going to be so happy you logged on today!

Sometimes I just get a craving and I get can't it out of my head until I satisfy it. Do you ever have that happen? And what do you do when there is no way you can "scratch the itch" so to speak? Do you simply try to ignore it, (which almost never works) or do you find another way? I'm more likely to find another way, and that's exactly how this recipe came to be.

See, I was craving Chinese take out...B.A.D. Like, it was the only thing I could think about. I have no idea why, but I do have my suspicions. If you read this post  back in March, then you know we aren't having very good luck with our favorite Chinese restaurants here in town. One closed and one burnt to the ground. So I believe my cravings came from a subliminal place. My brain knew I couldn't have the dishes I loved from those two places, so it decided to make them all I could think about. You know, tell someone they can't have something, and it only makes them want it more.

So I looked at what I had in the pantry, fridge and freezer. I looked at the time I had to give into my craving, and I thought "Why not take all the elements of this loved take out dish...and turn it into a casserole?" And that's exactly what I did. This would make a simple supper any night of the week. Prep the chicken in the morning, let it marinade all day, and then dinner can be on the table in almost no time at all that night. Oh, and it's very budget friendly too, especially if wait until the store is running specials on chicken and frozen veggies!

We all deserve to satisfy our cravings now and again. But if you can do it in a way that brings your family around the table to a new meal they love, well than that's just icing on the cake. Oh great...now I want cake...

Teriyaki Chicken Casserole

1.5 lbs. boneless chicken tenders, cut into bite size pieces

3 TBS vegetable oil

2 heaping TBS Asian seasoning blend*

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 c. chicken broth

3 1/3 c. instant white rice

1 (16 oz.) bag frozen broccoli, thawed and drained well

1 (12 oz.) bag peas and carrots, thawed and drained well

1 green pepper, sliced thin

1 1/3 c. teriyaki sauce, divided

1/3 c. water

Black Pepper to taste

In a medium bowl combine chicken, seasoning blend and garlic. Stir well. Marinade in fridge for at least 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 375. In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Brown chicken until golden on all sides. Add pepper, broccoli, peas and carrots. Saute until veggies are crisp tender. Add rice, chicken broth, water, 1 cup teriyaki sauce and black pepper. Stir to combine. Transfer to a greased 9x13 pan. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Add 1/3 c. teriyaki sauce and stir. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Allow to sit 5 minutes before serving. *NOTE* You can find an Asian seasoning blend with the regular dried herbs and spices, or on the international aisle. The one I prefer is a sesame ginger blend.

Shared on The Country Cook April 25, 2014