Chicken, Broccoli & Cheddar Casserole with Stuffed Peppers

Thanks to all of the October birthdays among my friends and family (seriously - we've decided to call it Rocktober because there's so many of us, and we're all so awesome), there has been and will continue to be a glut of dessert-themed posts this month.  As such, I decided to post these two dishes before some of the others I have waiting in the wings. It's been a bit of a rough week, and whenever I need to feel better, I know I can turn to the wise, wise words of The Beatles:

"When I find myself in times of trouble,
Mother Mary sings to me.
Speaking words of wisdom,
Let it be CHEESE."

LET IT CHEESE, LET IT CHEESE!

Chicken, Broccoli & Cheddar Casserole with Stuffed Peppers
What You'll Need:
-Chicken Casserole:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1" cubes
3 small heads of broccoli cut into florets
1 small or 1/2 of a medium white onion, cut into strips
2 cans 98% Fat Free Campbell's Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
2/3 cup skim milk
Salt and pepper to taste

-Stuffed Peppers:
2 green bell peppers
1/4 cup rice (I used jasmine rice)
3/4 cup water
1/2 medium white onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-1 1/2 cups medium chunky salsa
1/2 cup Mexican or Taco shredded cheese
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp olive oil

What To Do:
The peppers have to bake in the oven for awhile, so I started with those.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut off the tops of peppers, retaining the usable parts.  De-seed the insides, cut the peppers in half, and remove any of the white veins. Place the peppers in an oven-safe baking dish.

Heat the rice in the 3/4 cup water until it reaches a boil; lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes uncovered.  While the rice is cooking, chop the celery, onion, garlic, and the remains of the pepper tops.

Heat a saute pan with the olive oil on medium heat; cook the veggies for 3-5 minutes or until they are slightly softened.

At this point, the rice should be finished cooking on its own - the water should be fully absorbed.  Transfer the rice to the saute pan, then add the salsa.  Season with the cumin, salt, and pepper.  Cook for 3 minutes.

Spoon the mixture into the peppers - mine had just enough room for all of the filling. Bake for 45 minutes.

Remove the dish from the oven, then cover the peppers with the cheese.  Return to the oven for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Cheeeeeeeeese.

While the peppers were baking, I got to work on the main dish, the chicken casserole.  This was mostly born out of what I had in my cabinets and what veggies were laying around.  I trimmed the fat from my chicken breasts, cut them into approximately 1" cubes, then sauteed them in a hot skillet with 1 tbsp of olive oil.

While the chicken was cooking, I chopped the stalks off the broccoli and roughly chopped the onion.

After I was sure the chicken was fully cooked, I dumped all the veggies into the skillet.  I then had to transfer everything to my giant skillet, because apparently I never learn. Cover the pan and let the veggies steam for about 2 minutes. Mix the condensed soup and the milk in a separate bowl, then add to the skillet, tossing the contents to coat everything.

Since this would be pretty bland on its own, I gave this a liberal dousing with black pepper and a little bit of salt, both of which livened things up considerably.  From start to finish, this part takes about 25 minutes, so if you're making this along with the stuffed peppers, I recommend starting about halfway through the peppers' bake time.

Miraculously, mine finished at almost the exact same time, so I was able to photograph and eat everything while it was still hot!

This was exactly what I was hoping for - melty, cheesy goodness with a little bit of kick, courtesy of the salsa in the peppers.  There was more than enough for 4 servings, so this would be a good dinner for a family, and it also reheats well for those singles or couples out there. You could also make the casserole on its own and serve it with a side of rice or mashed potatoes if you don't want to try both at once!

On a side note, stuffed peppers are usually made with a meat-based filling coated with a tomato sauce.  I had tomato sauce on hand, but I didn't feel like opening a new jar for the little bit I'd need, hence the salsa.  I almost liked this better because it had a bolder flavor, but it does give the dish a decidedly Mexican flavor.  If you prefer a more traditional stuffed pepper, use ground beef, turkey, or veggie protein crumbles to give these some more substance, and use Italian spices (oregano, thyme, parsley, etc.) for flavoring.  Enjoy!