Cream of Mushroom Chicken Bake

What if I told you there was a one pot healthy meal that took five minutes of prep time to make... that would have your family clamoring for more, scraping the pot to get every last bit into their hungry mouths?

It's all true! Cream of Mushroom Chicken Bake is my savior on those crazy nights when I am running my kids back and forth to all of their activities. I throw it together in five minutes tops, pop it into the oven and hop in the car to drive my kids around while it bakes. Did I mention this recipe only uses three main ingredients? Yes, it's the kind of recipe you would find on the back of a Campbell's Soup can, but it's oh so good...

My husband's mother, Gerry, made this dish for his family when they were growing up, and it is the dish he remembers most fondly. She used Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup and white rice, but nowadays there are a lot of healthier options.  I use Amy's Cream of Mushroom Soup and brown rice (I used to use Whole Foods 365 brand, but they changed the recipe and it doesn't work well for this dish anymore. It is too thick and white). I think she would approve.

Make sure you bake this until the creamy rice is browned and crispy around the edges. The crispier the better - this is the part that everyone attacks, and you want enough of it or it could turn ugly. Sometimes I add some chopped carrots to the cream of mushroom soup for color. Serve with a side of green beans. 

Gerry's Cream of Mushroom Chicken Bake

Serves 4-5

4 whole chicken breasts, bone in

2 cups brown rice (basmati, or medium grain)

2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup, plus water (see below)

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Rinse brown rice, and place in a large dutch oven or casserole dish with lid. Read package instructions for the rice to determine how much liquid is needed for cooking. ** Pour the two cans of soup into a large measuring cup, and add water until you have reached the amount of liquid needed for the rice (for example, I needed 5 cups of water for my 2 cups of rice. My two cans of soup measured out just under four cups, so I added water until I reached the 5 cups of liquid necessary). Add salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stir.

Wash, pat dry the chicken breasts and coat with a little bit of olive oil. Lay the chicken breasts on top of the rice, and salt and pepper them.

On the stovetop, turn the heat to medium and bring the rice and chicken to a boil. Cover pot and remove from heat. Place covered pot in the oven.

Following package instructions for the rice, cook for the amount of time indicated (usually 40-50 minutes). Uncover, and increase the oven temperature to 500 degrees. Cook until the chicken is browned on top (you can spoon some of the liquid on top of the chicken while it's baking to help it crisp, or if you don't have enough liquid drizzle a little more olive oil on top), the liquid is absorbed into the rice, and the edges of the rice are brown and crispy (depending on the type of rice, about 30 minutes or more ).

** If you are using a condensed cream of mushroom soup that is especially thick (such as 365 brand), add an extra 1/2 cup of water