Like all of us, I am always looking for a change on dinner.  I found a recipe for stuffed peppers that looked good.  Too bad my son’s don’t really like stuffed peppers (I’ve tried to change their minds before).  So I decided to take a different approach.  What if I make the filling into a casserole and add the peppers  to the mix??  It worked….and quite well I might add.

Preheat oven to 350F

In a small pan:

1 cup pilaf (I like Kashi)

1/2 cup brown rice

3 cups chicken broth

Cook grains in broth until liquid is adsorbed.  Remove from heat.

While the grains are cooking..prepare

1 large red pepper, diced

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup mushrooms, sliced (feel free to change the vegetables to suit you)

In a medium skillet, saute the above vegetables in a little olive oil until beginning to brown (if you don’t have time, skip the saute)

Thaw one of your packages of grilled chicken (see recipe)

Shred 4 oz  each of smoked mozzarella and cheddar

In a mixing bowl combine vegetables, grains, cheeses and add:

1 14 oz can of drained diced tomatoes

2 Tbs fresh basil, chopped or equal amount of basil slurry (see  “enjoy fresh basil year round ” here)

salt and pepper to taste

Pour into a greased casserole dish and top with dried bread crumbs.  Bake for 45 minutes.

“Smokey” Chicken and Rice Casserole