French Onion Chicken and Rice Casserole

Do you have meals that are not super healthy, but are go to dinners because they are quick, easy, and your kids will eat them without a fight? *raises both hands high*

This casserole is so hearty and delicious. It is full of flavor, cheesy, and the onions on top are delicious. The casserole reheats really well and is tasty the next day. The onions don't stay s crisp, but the flavors are savory and delicious. 

This is a recipe I made to use up some pantry items and my children loved it. I usually have it in our rotation of casseroles each month, and the kids always eat nicely. I added some green beans so there was something green in it, and I normally serve it with a green veggie and/or a side salad. However, I think everyone's favorite part is the crispy onions on top! I went through a period of time when I was anti quick ingredients, but since the boys are now 5 and 2 I have learned that when you can count on the kids eating a meal you need to roll with it. I am lucky because I have two veggie lovers, but they are also pretty typical kids and like comfort style food. We really try to mix it up at our house so we get a lot of fresh, but can mix in the prepackaged ingredients when we are in a pinch (and in all honestly work the best in casseroles). 

We are still working on getting the house organized for our move! It is nerve wracking, but so exciting! I have been making a few trips to look at carpet and flooring, and I think we made our selections for the new place! We are planning to reface the cabinets as well, but that will be happening once we are in, but it certainly is fun to shop until we need to make some decisions. I am debating granite and corian counter tops. Does anyone have opinions based on their experiences with their home. In my area, the prices are pretty comparable with corian being sightly cheaper.  I am thinking I will choose corian, but wanted to hear if anyone had good critiques or things to be aware of before the make a final decision in a few weeks. 

Ingredients

1 lb ground chicken

1 can french onion condensed soup

1 can cream of chicken condensed soup

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 (15 oz) can french cut green beans

2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth

3/4 cup uncooked rice

2 cups cheddar cheese

1 (6 oz) container crunchy onion toppers (like French's or comparable brand)

Instructions

Pre-heat over to 350 degrees. 

Lightly grease a 9x13 casserole dish with PAM and set aside.  In a large rimmed skillet, cook the ground chicken till it is no longer pink.  While chicken cooks, stir together both soups, pepper, garlic powder, sour cream, and green beans in a mixing bowl and set aside. Add the rice to the skillet with the cooked ground chicken. Stir in the contents of the mixing bowl. Gently pour into a baking dish and spread evenly to make sure the rice is evenly distributed. 

Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, remove foil and sprinkle cheese evenly over the top. Top with crunchy onions and bake for an additional 15 minutes.