Veggie & Chicken Casserole

Our 100th post - crazy! We've definitely loved making all of these recipes and getting to see everyone else's awesome creations too! Hopefully there will be lots more to come :)

So last night I was feeling really tired and really didn't want to go to the store. I decided to try and make up my own dish (usually I'm more of a recipe follower or tweaker, but wanna be more of a creater one of these days :). I used what we had in the fridge and cabinets to make a simple casserole. It turned out pretty well & is super easy! I did bake it on 325F, which made it take about an hour to cook. Next time I'll probably turn it up to 350 or so to make it a bit quicker. I also used some herb flavored gouda from Trader Joe's (not listed in ingredients below) to sprinkle on top since we had it in the fridge. Feel free to use/substitute any cheese! With all of the veggies, I think it'd make a great vegetarian recipe if you just omit the chicken. We served it with a quick spinach salad topped with mushrooms, shredded carrots, bean sprouts, cilantro & cheese.

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (I used fire-roasted for more kick)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• Red pepper flakes, to sprinkle (optional)
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F
   
2. Layer bottom of a 9x11 casserole dish with chicken.
3. Top with all veggies, then rice. Pour tomatoes over top. Sprinkle with cheese.
4. Bake for 45 minutes covered, then 15 minutes uncovered until cheese is bubbly.
5. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes (if desired) & serve!