The excitement and frenzy of Christmas is over and it is time to slow it down a bit and relax and enjoy our blessings. I always take a few days right after Christmas to catch my breath and take it a bit easier before we head into the new year. I turn to comfort food and old standbys for meals.

Chicken is my go to protein. Chicken Continental is an old standby of a meal. The original recipe came off the back of the Minute Rice box. I love this meal! Steam some broccoli or other green veggie to go with it and you are all set.

Chicken Continental  Serves 4-6

• 3 pounds boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 – 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon celery flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
• 2 cups chicken broth or stock
• 2 cups Minute Rice

Rinse & dry the chicken, cutting it into individual serving size pieces. Coat the chicken pieces with the flour.  In a sauté pan, brown the chicken in the butter, turning to brown both sides.

Pan frying the chicken before baking helps seal in the juices.

Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside on a clean serving dish or plate. Stir the soup, onion, salt, pepper, parsley, celery flakes, thyme and chicken broth into the pan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture boils.

Put the soup mixture together after the chicken has been removed from the pan.

Remove the mixture from the heat. Put the instant rice in a 9 x 13 casserole dish.  Pour 2/3rds of the soup mixture over the rice, stirring the rice and soup mixture together to moisten all the rice.

The rice needs to be covered by the soup mixture to cook.

Lay the browned chicken pieces on top of the moistened rice along with any juices from the chicken that accumulated on the plate. Top the chicken with the reserved soup mixture.

Layer the cooked chicken over the rice.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake the chicken in a 350° oven for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of baking.

Add a green veggie for a balanced meal.

Comfort food is such a pleasure at this time of year.  ~Linda

Chicken Continental  Serves 4-6

• 3 pounds boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 – 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon celery flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
• 2 cups chicken broth or stock
• 2 cups Minute Rice

Rinse & dry the chicken, cutting it into individual serving size pieces. Coat the chicken pieces with the flour.  In a sauté pan, brown the chicken in the butter, turning to brown both sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a clean serving dish or plate. Stir the soup, onion, salt, pepper, parsley, celery flakes, thyme and chicken broth into the pan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture boils.  Remove the mixture from the heat. Put the instant rice in a 9 x 13 casserole dish.  Pour 2/3 of the soup mixture over the rice, stirring them together to moisten all the rice.  Lay the browned chicken pieces on top of the moistened rice along with any juices from the chicken that accumulated on the plate. Top the chicken with the reserved soup mixture. Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake the chicken in a 350° oven for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of baking.