Veggie Casserole From Leftovers

So, you are looking through the fridge and find all these small containers with remnants of former meals.  You are probably in a hurry, that is why you are scavenging.  Some broccoli, a few peas, quarter cup of carrots, and fresh mushrooms that were on sale but you didn’t need them all.  Tonight’s dinner is almost done, you just don’t realize it yet.  It is even closer if you have some rice so look a little harder.  Rice is usually in two or more containers, from the Chinese dinner you brought home and some from the meal you made last Tuesday.

I’m going to give you the recipe as if it was from scratch because I don’t know what you have left over.  Your job is to make the substitutions.  For instance my recipe calls for a bag of frozen vegetables.  See what you already have and make the adjustment.  Since this is a casserole you can often put in some vegetables that you don’t normally like because they will be covered by the rest of the meal or hidden in someone else’s serving.

As for the rice, depending on how you cook it, 1 cup of uncooked rice will produce about 3 cups of cooked rice.  See what you have and cook up the rest.  I like to use a broth instead of water, or maybe half broth to half water for a little different taste.  I tried beer once but it didn’t do any good.

Ingredients:

·   2 cups           Uncooked rice

·   1 can             Cream of Mushroom soup (don’t make the soup, just use the concentrate)

·   1 small jar    Cheese Wiz

·   1 bag            Vegetables like broccoli or mixed

·   Fresh mushrooms (canned if you have to)

·   Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1.            Cook up the rice

2.            About the time the rice is finished preheat the oven to 350

3.            Pour the cooked rice into a casserole

4.            Add the remaining ingredients to the casserole

5.            Stir everything together

6.            Bake for 40 minutes

Nice meal, easy to prepare in a short time, stores well for later, good for Lent.  Cooking is easier than you thought.