Brenda Rowland's Chicken and Rice Casserole

Well, the southern girl is coming out in me....this recipe is not healthy and is not gluten free.  But it's beyond delicious!  Growing up in the south in a Southern Baptist church, we had pot lucks all the time.  This recipe came from our dear friend Brenda Rowland.  I called this one "Brenda Rowland's Chicken and Rice Casserole" for a long time growing up so the name sticks.  I'm not changing it...it's been almost 20 yrs since I've had this recipe!

My kids love this one....you could make this one gluten free with gluten free cream of chicken and cream of mushroom...butit wont taste the same.  Anyway - this one is beyond excellent!

Ingredients:

2 cans of Premium white chunk chicken (drain and smash up the chicken) OR boil your own chicken breast in garlic and salt and pepper.

2 cans sliced water chestnuts

2 “Boil in a bag” bags of rice (white or brown – your choice)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans chicken broth
1 tsp sage
1 oz jar of cheese whiz
½ onion
1Tablespoon butter
2 sleeves of Ritz crackers

Directions:

Combine all ingredients into a big bowl and stir together.  Make sure on the cheese whiz jar you use about 1/3 of a cup in your casserole.

Bake on 350 for an hour covered with aluminum foil.

Then, take ½ an onion and chop it up and sauté in butter.  Then take crumbled up ritz crackers and stir into a bowl.  Pour the Ritz crackers mixture on top of the casserole and broil until crackers are lightly toasted.