Growing up in small-town USA, we learned to eat a lot of quick-and-easy, one-dish meals. Some I still love to this day; some if I merely hear the name my stomach does back flips, and I have to tell it to settle down. Goulash, anyone? Blech! Give me a second while I go find my stomach. . .  However, Mom made one dish that has been a staple in our household for years. It’s her quick, go-to recipe when a lot of family or friends are coming over. It’s also her go-to when it’s an evening that she won’t want to be cooking and just wants to serve dinner from the crockpot. Last night was “ode to Mom,” and I got it right. Try it and I’m sure this simple recipe will become a staple in your household, as well.  It is easily scalable to any family size. You can serve any vegetable side with it, and a hot roll is always a nice touch.

Mom’s Chicken and Rice Casserole

Ingredients

1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 Can French Onion Soup

1 Can Chicken Broth

1 Cup Uncooked Long-Grain Rice

Chicken Pieces – Legs thighs and or breasts

Salt

Pepper

(The Manly Housewife Twist Ingredients)

1 Tablespoon of Onion Powder

1 Tablespoon of Garlic Powder

Dash of Red Pepper

Directions:

1. Set oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a 11 x 13” pan, mix first 4 ingredients together (Twist: add onion powder, garlic powder, and red pepper here as well).
3. Add chicken, as much as you want or will fit in pan. (Season chicken to taste with same Twist ingredients, salt and pepper.)
4. Bake for 1 hour until chicken browns.
5. This recipe can be doubled and cooked at the same time.
6. You can also cook this recipe in a crockpot on low all day (8 hours) with amazing results. I highly suggest using crockpot bags (heat-proof, cooking-type plastic liners) to keep the clean up simple.