Lean Paula Deen: Chicken and Rice Casserole

Oh my goodness, y'all! As Paula would say, "This recipe is just to die for." Once again, it is simple and delicious...and easily modified to make it nutricious as well. This dish is another taken from The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook.

Here is the original recipe:

3 cups diced cooked chicken
1 medium onion, diced and sauteed
One 8-once can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
Two 14-1/2 ounce cans French green beans, rinsed and drained
One 4-ounce can pimentos, rinsed and drained
one 10-1/4 ounce condensed cream of celery soup
1 cup of mayonnaise
One 6-ounce box Uncle Ben's long-grain and wild rice, cooked according to package directions
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a 3-quart casserole dish. Bake for about 25 minutes.

My Healthy Spin:

* Sub Campbell's "Healthy Request" cream of celery...98% fat free!!
* Sub Hellmann's Mayonnaise Dressing...only 1 gram of fat per serving.
* Sub 2% sharp Cheddar

***Another time saving tip; the rice comes in a microwavable pouch. In 90 seconds...done!


As usual, follow the original directions, just substitute the reduced fat alternatives. The only suggestion from my family was to add some crushed crackers on top; reduced-fat Ritz, of course.


Try it out and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!


NEXT ON THE MENU: Cheeseburger Meatloaf and Sauce