Turkey, Cheese & Brown Rice Casserole aka “My Casserole"
This Turkey, Cheese and Brown Rice Casserole is a healthier take on my childhood favorite Cheeseburger and Rice Casserole. It's easy, nourishing, and the ultimate in comfort food.
1 ½cupsuncooked brown rice,cooked according to package directions (about 3 cups when cooked)
1lblean ground turkey
1can Cream of Mushroom soup(I like Campbell's Healthy Request)
1can Chicken Noodle Soup(I like Campbell's Healthy Request)
2cupsshredded cheddar cheese, divided(Mild cheddar or even a Mexican blend also work well)
1cupmilk, divided(skim, 2%, whole, whatever you have)
Salt
Pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Choose baking dish. I use a 9x13 glass baking dish. A deeper 8-inch round or square dish also works. If you wish, lightly grease baking pan with a little butter or cooking spray. This will make cleanup easier.
Cook rice according to package directions. I often buy rice from bulk bins, so for brown rice, I usually follow this process: Rinse rice well. Combine 1 ½ cups rice with 2 ¾ water in a rice cooker and cook until all the water has been absorbed. The same method also works over the stove top. Combine rice and water in a saucepan, bring to a slow boil. Lower heat to barely a simmer, cover and cook until all water has been absorbed. Fluff with fork when done and set aside.
Place medium-large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add turkey, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Using a spatula, break up into pieces and stir meat until all sides are lightly browned and no pink remains. Once cooked through, remove from heat and set aside.
In baking dish, mix together rice and ground turkey until evenly combined. Add contents from cream of mushroom and chicken noodle soup cans, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, ½ cup of the shredded cheese and about a ½ cup of the milk. Stir together to combine. Mixture should be well-incorporated and look wet, but not soupy. If it seems a little dry, add remaining milk and mix well.
Bake at 350 F for 20-25 min, until edges start to bubble.
Top with remaining 1 ½ cups cheese and bake 5-10 min more, just until cheese has fully melted.
Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Picky Eaters: If you are making this for kids (or even adults) who don’t like the sight of mushrooms or any of the other soup contents in their food, feel free to blend up the soups to puree those ingredients into invisible oblivion. You’ll still get the great taste and your picky eaters will be none the wiser! Feel free to add some of the milk to the blender if that helps the pureeing process.Serve with: We always ate this with green beans when I was younger. As an adult, I think it’s also lovely accompanied with some simple steamed broccoli or sautéed zucchini.