Almost Gumbo Casserole

One this recipe was put together; it reminded me of a great shrimp gumbo…minus the juice. Cooks beware, this recipe is very time consuming and, well, pan consuming. At one point I think I had 3 pans on my stove and my food processor going!

What is a favorite recipe that takes almost every pan in the kitchen?

The original recipe called for canned cream of mushroom soup. I tried to cut some of the fat and sodium by using a sauteed mushroom and cauliflower puree. Since I changed things up a bit, as we usually do, this recipe had lots of ingredients! Here they are:

One thing I wish I would have done is chop up the shrimp before mixing it with the rice. The shrimp, whole, are just too big when you scoop out the casserole. I might also add a little low sodium vegetable broth to the mixture before baking. My casserole was a little too dry, but I did cook it in a bigger casserole dish, so it may have just too much surface are when it baked.

Up close and personal....

The sodium was changed quite a bit! This dish is still on a higher end of calories but paired with lower calorie vegtables, would be a great dinner!

Shrimp and Rice Casserole
Ingredients:
¾ cup wild rice
½ cup brown rice
14 oz medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tbsp Smart Balance, Light
½ green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 cup cauliflower, cooked and pureed
1 cup mushrooms, sautéed and pureed
1 ½ cups 2% Cheddar
¼ tsp salt substitute
½ tsp black pepper
Canola oil spray

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cook the rice in 2 cups water until almost all of the water is absorbed. Set aside.

Bring 2 cups of water to boil and cook shrimp for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Melt Smart Balance in saucepan and sauté the bell pepper and onion until soft.

In a large bowl, mix together the rice, shrimp, cauliflower, mushrooms, 1 cup cheese, salt substitute, pepper, and sautéed vegetables. Spray an 11 by 7-inch casserole dish with canola oil. Pour the shrimp mixture into dish and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.

Mexican Casserole

Casseroles are great! I love being able to put a dish together a day ahead of time and just toss it in the oven for a quick and delicious dinner. The original Mexican Chicken recipe sounded great but it definitely could use a few changes.

I didn’t have the time to put my revised Mexican Chicken recipe together early, so my wonderful husband played sous-chef and started the recipe before I got home!

The original recipe was very quick and easy to put together. To make it healthier Rusty and I had to use a little more elbow grease! I decided to substitute pureed cauliflower for some of the soup. The cauliflower didn't have must taste but it did provide the creamy texture that you would find in a soup, without the fat and sodium.

The final product came out great! The tortillas on top were nice and crispy while the bottom layers were nice and creamy. I recommend using a knife to do the initial cuts when serving.

I added a small side salad and some refried black beans to complete the meal.

Here are the nutrition facts:

Revised Recipe:

Mexican Casserole

1 cup 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup
½ cup Cheddar Cheese Soup
1 ½ cups Chopped, Steamed Cauliflower
1 tsp Canola Oil
1 heaping cup Sliced Mushrooms
1 ½ cups Diced Tomatoes
1 tbsp Finely Chopped Cilantro
3-4 Chicken Breasts (4 cups cooked chicken)
1 pkt Salt Free Chicken Broth
Canola Oil Cooking Spray
9 Whole Wheat Tortillas
1 ½ cups 2% Cheddar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13x9 inch casserole dish with Canola Spray.

Mix salt free broth packet in large pot of water (enough to cover all of the chicken breasts). Boil chicken breasts until the internal temp reaches 165 degrees F. Once cooked, set aside 1 cup broth, and cut the chicken into large chunks.

Sautee mushrooms in canola oil until softened. Puree mushrooms and cauliflower in food processor. In a large bowl, stir together the pureed mixture, the 2 soups, the diced tomatoes and the cilantro. Stir in chicken and broth.

Tear or cut the tortillas into long strips, about 2” wide. Spread out one layer of the strips along the bottom of the pan. Spread ½ of the chicken mixture over the strips. Spread ½ cup of the cheese over the mixture. Repeat tortilla, mixture and cheese layer. Top the second level with tortilla strips and cover with last ½ cup of cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.