Cheesy Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole

Today was soo nice outside for a change! Little man and I got to spend some time in the sun. He is getting to be quite the goofy little guy and he keeps me entertained. When he isn't whining at me that is. For the last couple of weeks he has gotten really good about pulling himself up and walking around the furniture. His only problem was he could not figure out how to get back down again. We have been trying to show him how and finally yesterday it clicked for him! Now he can get up and down on his own and its great. His balance is still rather terrible though, so it will probably be a couple months till he tries walking on his own...

For dinner tonight I made something new. It was a recipe I found at rachelshultz.com and it turned out to be one of the longest dishes I have ever made but also one of the tastiest. It probably took me about an hour to put it together this afternoon and then I saved it in the fridge so it was all ready to bake. Little man loved it as well, but then he loves everything. Its so nice that he will eat anything and everything I feed him. (Along with every little piece of garbage or food on the floor that he can find...ugh).

Here is the recipe, adapted slightly:

Cheesy Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 stalks of celery, diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
• 1 cup white rice (I used Minute Rice)
• 16 ounces wild rice (I used Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• Garlic Salt
• Salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil, celery, minced garlic, and carrots in a pan over medium heat for 10 minutes. You can also add onion if wanted, but my family doesn't care for it. Prepare wild rice and white rice according to package instructions.

2. Stir in chicken, rices, and a dash of salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Reduce heat to low.

3. In a medium pan over high heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour, chicken broth, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Continue to whisk until boiling. Add 2 cups of the cheddar cheese and continue to stir until melted. Transfer chicken and rice mixture to a greased 9x13 baking dish. Pour cheese sauce over rices and top with remaining shredded cheese.

4. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

(Linking to some of these lovely parties)