Friday's Fare - Cheesy Chicken Casserole

This is a recipe that I think came from a magazine ad for Campbells soups. Of course, I've tweaked it a bit! Isn't that one of the best parts of learning new recipes? You do it exactly as it says the first time, but then make it your own from then on out!

Cheesy Chicken Casserole
1 can of chicken or 3 chicken breasts (cut in bite size pieces)
1 can of condensed soup (see my note below!)
1 1/3 c. water
3/4 c. uncooked rice
garlic powder & pepper, to taste
8 oz. pkg. shredded cheese (colby jack is great, but others can be used instead)

Preheat over to 375 degrees. Place rice (still uncooked) in 9x11 size baking dish. Mix in water & soup. Spread chicken evenly over top, then sprinkle w/ garlic powder & pepper to taste. Bake for 45 minutes. When done, sprinkle cheese evenly over top. Let it melt some, then serve.

Note on condensed cream soups: This recipe originally called for cream of chicken soup. I've found most of them to be interchangeable, which is esp. good when a recipe calls for cream of mushroom (BLECH!) My favorite is cream of celery & it really makes this dish taste great.

As you can see, this recipe is very versatile. If you're wanting a Mexican flair to it, you could add some chili powder & pepper jack cheese. I've never tried it w/ tuna, but it would probably be good too. The possibilities are endless. Be creative & enjoy!