12 Rice Dishes for Dinner Tonight

Around here rice is a constant staple in my pantry. I keep it stocked for several reasons. There are the obvious ones: its’ cheap, it’s filling, and it’s easy to prepare. But those aren't the only reasons I keep it on hand.  Rice is one of the most flexible foods you can buy. Its versatility is almost endless. I use it as an entrée, in casseroles, as a side dish, and even in soup. Plus you can prepare it to go with Mexican food, Chinese dishes, Indian dishes. Check out these recipes for ideas for lots of delicious recipes for putting rice on your dinner table. 

l

Apple Fried Rice

from The Kitchen is my Playground

h

Spicy Rice Casserole Recipe

from Living On A Dime

h

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

from New South Charm

Italian Chicken Fried Rice Recipe

from Blommi 

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

from Rate the Plate Utah 

Weeknight Burrito Bar

from See Mom Click

Red Beans and Rice

from Thrifty Jinxy

Cheesy Fiesta Chicken One Pot Meals

from A Mom's Take

Ritzy Chicken

from New South Charm

Jambalaya
from Love Bakes Good Cakes

Broccoli and Rice Casserole
from Newton Custom Interiors

Latin Veracruz Salmon Rice Skillet
from What's Cooking Love?

Happy Cookin’ Y’all!

Susanne

Tex Mex Casserole

The weather here is warmer this week than last. Last week it was in the twenties and thirties; today it was sixty degrees. This is January it should be snowing, right? Not that I’m hoping for snow. It’s just that’s the weather I expect in January.

Maybe it’s the crazy winter weather. Maybe it’s that I've been sick with the flu and then bronchitis. Or maybe it’s just how busy I've been recovering from all the things I didn't get done when I was sick. But today I was craving comfort food. One of my favorite comfort foods is Tex-Mex Casserole. This is delightfully easy throw together. It’s made with simple ingredients that combine together to create a smokey flavored ground beef dish with some spice.  

If you've been following New South Charm on Facebook then you know one of my big goals for 2015 is to simply cook and eat at home more. That single goal has the opportunity to reflect on our lives in several positive ways including better eating habits and saving money. 

Now let’s get down to the recipe for this simple casserole. 

Recipe

What You’ll Need

1 pound ground round

1 small green bell pepper (diced)

1 small yellow onion (diced)

½ a small red onion (diced) (optional)

1 (10 oz.) can of chilies and tomatoes (Rotel)

1 (10.75 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup

1 (10.75 oz.) can cream of chicken soup

8 oz. Cheeze Whiz

4 oz. green chilies

1 tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp. butter

1 tsp. worcestershire

1 tsp. garlic powder or three cloves minced

1 packet taco seasoning

1 bag tortilla chips

salt and pepper to taste

Putting It All Together

In a large skillet warm olive oil and butter.

Add in onions and peppers and cook until tender

When vegetables are cooked through brown beef stir in taco seasoning (this is where I add salt and pepper) until combined

In a medium sauce pan over medium low add together cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup stir until combined

Add in can of rotel style tomatoes, chilies, Worcestershire sauce and Cheeze Whiz to sauce pan allow to heat through stirring occasionally once warm remove from heat

Prepare a 9x13 inch casserole dish spaying it with nonstick cooking spray (tip: line it with aluminum foil for easy cleanup)

Line bottom of tray with crushed chips

Layer on ground beef and half the cheese sauce

Sprinkle on layer of shredded cheese

Repeat process

Top with a few crushed chips and cheese on the top

Bake 25 to 30 minutes at 350⁰

Garnish with sour cream, jalapenos, or salsa

 Happy Cooking Y’all!

Susanne

Most Popular Recipes of 2014

The end of 2014 is quickly approaching. I’m glad to say it’s been a good year. We experienced more good times than bad times and more laughter than tears. Looking back on the year that’s passed is common this time of year. Part of my year has been starting and working on this blog. It's been so much fun sharing and creating my favorite recipes and crafts with y'all. The five recipes in this collection were the most popular on the blog and Pinterest. They are all favorites here at our house too. 

Rotel Chicken Pasta

Creamy Chicken Farfalle

Fast and Easy Quesadillas

Ritzy Chicken

Taco Casserole

I'm excited for the new year and I can't wait to see what God will bring to our lives. I hope you have a great 2015 too!

Happy New Year Y’all!

Susanne

Bring out the holly...

Bring out the holly… I love that old song from Mame. The joy they fill in that song about decking the halls. Is the same feeling I get when it's time to pull out the boxes. Do you get that same feeling? Does your heart feel a little bit lighter when you see a family heirloom ornament? Or when you finally get everything in place and you realize your living room looks only slightly less jolly than the North Pole? I love all those feelings. I love to walk around the house and my Santa Collection on display. I love seeing my tree filled with ornaments that were gifts or picked up on vacations. But there’s also something else I love about this time of year, decorating with holiday greenery. I think they are beautiful and they bring that smell of Christmas into the house.  

I bought this little wooden tree a few years ago. I've never really figured out what to do with it and for a few years it’s been tucked away in the box ignored. This year it’s found a home in a basket of pine, cedar, and pine cones on my coffee table. To make this arrangement you just need to collect enough pine to fill the basket. Then add in a few pieces of cedar and a few pine cones as accents. It's a very traditional look and if you collect the greens from your yard or a neighbors it is really inexpensive.
I did another basket of fresh pine and cedar on the fireplace mantel. To create this look I started with two small branches that had small pine cone still attached. Once I anchored them in the basket with floral foam I worked in small bunch or pine needles and twigs of cedar, until I achieved the desired look. For some additional color I placed a few red Christmas ornaments. Be prepared for your fingers to get sticky. There's usually a good deal of sap in evergreen trees.

I did another basket of fresh pine and cedar on the fireplace mantel. To create this look I started with two small branches that had small pine cones still attached. I anchored them in the basket with floral foam. Then I worked in small bunches of pine needles and twigs of cedar until I achieved the desired look. For some additional color I placed a few red Christmas ornaments. Be prepared for your fingers to get sticky. There's usually a good deal of sap in evergreen trees.

This arrangement on my dining table is created using three faux branches of pine and two bundles of red berries I picked up at Hobby Lobby just last week. I used a crystal pitcher (a wedding present) instead of a vase. The sterling sliver candlesticks were a fantastic find while antiquing in Memphis last fall. I decided to leave my favorite Blue Willow and heirloom china on the table (another great find) and add snowflake napkin rings for a festive touch.

One last touch of greenery. This time in the kitchen. This little brown bowl was the home of a few Hen and Chick succulent plants until about a month ago when my black thumb struck again. Since I had a few small sprigs left I tucked them into this bowl and added another pine cone. The picture frame in this picture is a recipe card. It's a hand written by my MeeMaw and it's for Crock-pot Baked Beans one of my favorite things she made. 

So that's a little tour around my house for the holidays. I hope you enjoyed it. I know I loved putting it together and sharing it with you. 

Susanne

12 Dinner Ideas Your Family Will Love

Ideas for an Easy Dinner Tonight

I love to cook. Cooking dinner is (usually) one of my favorite parts of the day. I love everything about the process from prepping the ingredients to washing dishes with my husband. Over the years I've collected a few tried and true recipes that are my “go to” favorites. But like you I get tired of cooking the same things over and over. I put these recipes together because they look like delicious easy main dishes my family will love. I hope you find a few new favorites for your family too. 

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Puffs

 Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Puffs from Mom On Time Out

Mexican Wonderpot

Mexican Wonderpot from Oh So Savvy Mom

Homemade Fried Chicken Tenders

Homemade Fried Chicken Tenders from Call Me PMC

Chicken Penne Alfredo

Chicken Alfredo Penne from The Kitchen Is My Playground

Best Goulash Ever 

Best Goulash Ever from All She Cooks

Moving Day Beefy Vegetable Soup

Moving Day Beefy Vegetable Soup from Designs of Home

Fast and Easy Quesadillas 

Fast and Easy Quesadillas from New South Charm

 Cuban Pork Chops

Cuban Pork Chops from Penny Pincher Jenny

Cheesy Orzo with Pancetta and Peas

Cheesy Orzo Pancetta and Peas

Texas Ham and Cheese Sliders

Texas Ham and Cheese Sliders from A Mom's Take

Spicy Mango Shrimp

Spicy Mango Shrimp from Sweep Tight

Ritzy Chicken

Ritzy Chicken from New South Charm

Susanne

Holiday Ambrosia Salad

The holidays are almost here and for my family that means spending time together sharing making special memories. It also means one other very important thing… food. If you haven’t caught on by now around here we like to eat. I know you’re thinking who cares about food. I’ve got a house to clean and decorate. Then I need to buy a ton of presents. I’ll worry about the menu later. I know that’s what I keep thinking too. But, take just a minute to remember those holidays of your childhood. If you’re like me then maybe you remember a few presents if they were particularly good or really bad maybe a crazy relative. Probably before you thought of about those things you remembered your family (the normal ones) and then that special dish that you only had at Thanksgiving or Christmas. Maybe it was dressing or green bean casserole. Maybe it was a special cake or pie. Every family has at least one dish that they look forward to every year. For us that's this Ambrosia.

My MeeMaw (hey don’t laugh this is the South we call our grandparents funny names) made Ambrosia every Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was as certain as the turkey. For a few years after she passed away no one made it. I’m not really sure that anyone noticed or if they did no one mentioned it. It just wasn’t on the table. Then a couple years ago I started hosting Thanksgiving in our home. So when it came time to plan the menu Ambrosia was at the top of the list. One of the most precious moments of that first Thanksgiving was my Daddy telling me he’d like me to it again for Christmas. I still smile thinking about his smile and words.

Okay enough sappy talk. Here’s the recipe.

Recipe

What You’ll Need:

1 15 oz. can fruit cocktail in juice (drained)

1 11 oz.  can Mandarin oranges (drained)

1 8 oz. can pineapple tidbits (drained)

1 cup Maraschino cherries (drained)

1 cup marshmallows

8 oz. tub of whipped cream

Putting It All Together:

In a large bowl stir together fruit cocktail, Mandarin oranges, and pineapple using a rubber spatula

Add in whipped cream a spoon full at a time until it’s well combined

Chill in the refrigerator over night

(Sometimes a broken cherry will turn the salad pink in places. So yours might not look exactly like mine. But it will still taste great!)

Happy Cooking Y’all

Susanne

P.S. The Hubby was so excited when he came home and found out there was Ambrosia in the fridge. He loves when blogging meets eating!

Chicken and Rice Casserole

One of my very favorite comfort foods since I was a little girl has always been Chicken and Rice Casserole. There’s something so comforting about this dish. Maybe it’s the creamy texture or the simple flavor but there is something about this casserole that reminds me of home.

The key to making this version of chicken and rice is that the rice is boiled in chicken broth. The broth brings extra flavor to the chicken. 

Aside from being my favorite comfort food this casserole is fantastic  for  other reasons. It’s easy to make. It’s inexpensive. It will feed a lot of people. The leftovers are great for lunch the next day. Oh and did I mention it’s delicious? Well let me tell you again, it’s delicious!

Recipe

What you will need:

2 cups of white rice

2 cups of chicken broth

2 chicken breasts (or about a pound)

2 tablespoons of butter

1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup

1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 can (4 oz.) of mushrooms (I used pieces and stems but button mushrooms would be fine too)

Salt and pepper to taste

Putting it all together:

Prepare 2 cups of rice following package directions substituting water for chicken broth.

Shred cooked chicken and set it aside

In a large sauce pan melt 2 tablespoons butter

Once the butter is melted add in cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soups, blend together

Add in mushrooms

Add shredded chicken to skillet and stir into mixture

Salt and pepper to taste

Stir rice into mixture allow it to sit for 2-5 minutes

Pour into a 9x13 casserole dish and bake a 350⁰ for 30 minutes

Happy Cooking Y’all,

Susanne

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Ritzy Chicken

                                                                

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole