CHICKEN & RICE CASSEROLE

Chicken and Rice Casserole

6 slices bacon (center cut preferred)
1 cup uncooked rice
Chicken pieces (boneless skinless breasts, split breasts or thighs on bone)
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
1 can cream of chicken soup
1-3/4 cups water
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Line the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with the bacon slices. (Use 8 slices if you’re using boneless skinless breasts.) Sprinkle uncooked rice over the bacon.

Season both sides of chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika. Place chicken pieces on top of rice.

Combine soup and water together and pour over chicken. THEN...Sprinkle chicken with oregano and garlic salt (and nutmeg, if you are using it). This will actually stay on the chicken as the liquid is absorbed into the rice, and will look pretty at the end, as you can see in the picture.

Cover tightly with foil and bake at 300 degrees for 2 hours (if using boneless skinless breasts or split breasts on the bone... may need to bake 15-30 minutes longer for thighs, and no, the 2 hours does not dry out the boneless/skinless breasts). No peeking while it bakes!

NOTES: The bacon is used both to "grease" the baking dish as well as to lend flavor to the casserole and keep things from drying out (especially if you use boneless skinless breasts.) If you use center cut bacon, then you can serve it with the rice (just mix it in). If you use regular bacon (especially if it's pretty fatty) then you'll just want to spoon out the chicken and rice and just toss out the bacon once this finishes baking.

Also, if you are using dark meat (thighs on the bone) for this casserole, make sure your meat reaches 175 degrees before pulling it from the oven, even if that means cooking it a little bit longer than the stated 2 hours. Keep it covered after you remove it from the oven for about 5 minutes, and it will continue to rise in temperature to 180 degrees, which is what is recommended for dark meat. The rice will not overcook, and it will still be moist and fantastic.