Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole

 Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole

4 T butter
1 med onion, minced
salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 t cayenne
1/4 c flour
6 c chicken broth
1 c heavy cream
2 lb chicken breasts
1.5 c rice
1 bag frozen pea and carrot mix
8 oz sharp cheddar, shredded
2 T lemon juice
3 T minced fresh parsley (I left this out)

melt butter over med heat, add onion and salt. Cook until softened, browned. Add garlic and cayenne, cook 30 seconds. Add flour and cook 1 minute. whisk in broth and cream.

Add chicken breasts, partially cover, simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover completely, cook until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken and let cool. Stir rice into pot, cover, cook over low heat until rice has absorbed much of the liquid and is just tender, 20-25 minutes.

Shred chicken.

Remove pot from heat and add shredded chicken, peas and carrots, cheddar, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into baking dish and top with bread crumbs.

To serve: defrost completely, bake at 400 for about an hour. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.