A Springy Casserole and The Secret Recipe Club

Last month as I was looking through the blogs, I noticed a couple people posting recipes from a group called The Secret Recipe Club. As members, you are assigned a blog, and your only requirement is to make one recipe from that blog some time during the month. We keep our "assigned blogs" secret until the post day where everyone reveals their blog and their chosen recipe at the same time. Fun right? I was in. 

My The Secret Recipe Club blog for May was Anne's Quick and Easy, Cheap and Healthy. I ended up spending the better part of an afternoon looking through her recipes, and I really like her philosophy - healthy and nutritious recipes do not need to be expensive or complicated! I actually had a really hard time settling on a recipe, but in the end I decided on her recipe for A Springy Casserole since it is a recipe that is different from what I would typically make. It is originally a recipe from about.com, but Anne definitely made it her own.

In her post, Anne mentions that this recipe is one that would adapt well to the inclusion of different vegetables. In fact, she made two versions - one with chopped red bell pepper, and another with shredded zucchini in place of the pepper. Red peppers are one of my favorite vegetables, so I decided to go with that version. Other swaps/changes include using Greek yogurt rather than plain yogurt, adding 1 cup chopped cooked broccoli, and including 2 Tablespoons of Dijon mustard. 

Our verdict: Pretty good! The recipe made more that the two of us could eat in one sitting, and I think it got better as the flavors melded together the next day. I love that it is a great way to use up random leftovers that may be hanging around in your fridge. Not sure about anyone else, but I always seem to be one that ends up with way too much rice whenever we are using it for a recipe. This is definitely one to keep in mind for when that happens. I haven't tried it, but this recipe also seems like it would work well to make ahead and just pop in the oven when you were ready to cook dinner. Win, win all around. Thanks Anne for a great recipe, and it was really great to stumble across your blog! Be sure to check out our blog-hop to see which recipes everyone made! Enjoy!  

(Printable Recipe)

A Springy Casserole
Adapted from Quick and Easy, Cheap and Healthy

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1-1/2 medium red bell peppers, chopped
1 cup frozen broccoli, thawed and chopped
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, divided 
1-1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 cup chopped cooked chicken
1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil until hot but not smoking. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers, broccoli, 1/4 cup of the broth, thyme, black pepper, and continue cooking until the bell pepper begins to soften, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in the remaining 3/4 cup of broth, brown rice, Greek yogurt, and mustard. Add the chicken, remove from the heat, and stir until well combined. Stir in one-third of the mozzarella and the parsley. Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the casserole is heated through and the cheese has melted.