As simple as this seems, it is absolutely delicious!! IF there is any leftover, it freezes well. ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE 6 Cups Sliced Zucchini 1 1/2 Pounds Ground Beef 1 Onion, diced 1 3/4 Cup Instant Rice 1 Teaspoon Garlic Salt 2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning 1 lb 8oz carton Small Curd Cottage Cheese 2 Cans Cream of Mushroom Soup 1 Cup Grated Cheddar / Mozzarella Cheese, more to taste Cook sliced Zucchini in a small amount of Water until tender. Be careful not to overcook, crisp is better. Drain and cool, set aside. Fry Ground Beef and Onion until browned. Add Garlic Salt and Italian Seasonings and Rice. Layer half the Zucchini in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Spread the Meat / Rice Mixture of the top. Spread the Cottage Cheese on top of the Meat / Rice Mixture. Layer with the rest of the Zucchini. Thin the Mushroom Soup with 1 can of Milk and pour over all. Sprinkle the top with the Cheese. Bake uncovered in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1.5 � 2 hours.

Ha, I had the same dilemma this weekend, wanted to make "chicken divan" but didn't really know how. Googled some recipes and then realized it was going to be really tough as I didn't have chicken broth (not critical) OR white wine (pretty critical). I ended up improvising with a white sauce, onions, mushrooms and some leftover turkey gravy for a poultry taste. Lemon juice instead of wine. Added cheddar and parmesean for the cheese factor. It was good but the rice got mushy. BF liked it so next time I am going to try this recipe from my Cook's Illustrated "Cover & Bake" cookbook. P.S. Frankly I think some of their fussing is over the top and not necessary. Yes, slightly undercook the rice but I cut up the chicken and sauteed it until more or less done and it was OK. Also steamed the broccoli in the microwave. Chicken Divan Casserole from "Cooks Illustrated Cover & Bake" cookbook, America's Test Kitchen, Brookline MA, 2004. Topping: 1 cup slivered or whole blanched almonds (adjust grinding time depending on which you use, almonds should be pieces, not fine powder) 3 sliced white sandwich bread, torn into quarters 2 TBLSP melted butter, unsalted Process almonds in a food processor fitted with the steel blade until coarsely ground, 5-10 seconds. Add the bread and butter and process to a unformly coarse crumb, about six 1-second pulses. Set the this aside. Filling: Salt to taste 1 med. bunch broccoli (~ 1.5 lbs.), florets trimmed to 1 inch pieces, stalks peeled and chopped medium sized. 1 TBLSP olive oil 1 med. onion, minced 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice (I never use white rice) 3 1/2 cups water (or broth, IMHO) 4 TBLSP unsalted butter 1/4 cup all purpose flour 2 cups low sodium chicken broth 3/4 cup heavy cream (I almost always use half and half) 6 oz. sharp cheddar, grated (~ 2 cups) 1 oz. Parmesean cheese, grated (~1/2 cup) 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat 1 lemon cut into wedges Note: splash of white wine, just IMHO. Steam or parboil broccoli for 1 minute. Season with salt. If parboiling, season the water with salt. Can also do in the microwave, make them just below done. In a large saucepan or dutch oven, add the oil and put on med. heat until oil is shimmering. Add the onion, broccoli stems, and 1/2 tsp. salt. (Frankly I'd add mushrooms and garlic too!). Cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the rice and cook stirring to coat the grains with oil, for about 1 min. Add the water and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn the heat to low, and cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is just tender. (16 min. for white rice, longer for brown). Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over med. heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 min. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and cream; bring to a simmer, whisking often. (Here's where I'd add a splash of white wine). Off the heat, whisk in the cheeses, and cayenne until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside until ready to use. Preheat overn to 400 degrees. Spread the cooked rice into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish or casserole, and arrange the broccoli florets in an even layer over the rice. Take the chicken cutlets and cut them in half widthwise (you want them very thin) and then cut these thin slices in half lengthwise, (you're making chicken "shingles"). Layer the chicken, slightly overlapping shingle-style across the broccoli, so that all the broccoli gets covered by chicken. Otherwise, according to these fussbudgets the exposed broccoli with get overdone/dried out. Pour about 2 cups of sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with the bread crumb topping. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the edges are bubbling, 30-35 min. Cool for 10 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges, passing the remaining sauce separately. Note: I've never made this so I might just sear the chicken breasts in EVOO before shingling them just in case, since I can't seem to get chicken to cook well in my oven. But they are so thin, probably not really necessary. Overcooked chicken will get rubbery. Anyhow, I think they are on to something with this layering technique, since when I made it I just glopped everything together and smooshed it into a casserole and topped with parm. I did this mostly because I was very short on chicken, I didn't have near as much as that recipe above calls for, so I cut mine up into little chunks and added them to the rice. Oh, and I added spinach to the rice mixture too.

I don't know about the one you linked, but I've made the one that follows, and you are absolutely correct - the kids love it. Becky * Exported from MasterCook * Broccoli Rice Casserole Recipe By :Taste of Home Serving Size : 10 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 small onion -- chopped 1/2 cup celery -- chopped 10 ounces frozen broccoli -- chopped 1 tablespoon butter 8 ounces processed American cheese 10 3/4 ounces cream of mushroom soup, condensed 5 ounces evaporated milk 3 cups cooked rice In a large skillet over medium heat, saute onion, celery and broccoli in butter for 3-5 minutes. Stir in cheese, soup and milk until smooth. Place rice in a greased 8 inch square baking dish. Pour cheese mixture over; do not stir. Bake, uncovered, at 325F for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : Can use steamed fresh broccoli and regular milk instead.

I have a different recipe that comes from Sante Fe, NM from way back in the 60's. It isn't called Spinach Con Queso, it is just called, Spinach Cheese Dip. Not as fancy a name, but I can assure you this is delicoius! I like it inside my omelet all melty and creamy good! LOL Spinach Cheese Dip 1/2 cup green chile pepper, chopped fine 1 1/2 tablespoon jalepeno pepper, chopped fine 1/4 cup sweet onion, minced 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 2 to 3 plum tomatoes, diced with seeds and juice 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup half and half cream 1 3/4 teaspoon cider vinegar 10 ounce package of frozen spinach 6 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese Thaw spinach and squeeze dry. Shred cheddar cheese. Saute chilies, jalapenos and onions with the oil over a medium heat until they are soft, but not browned. Add tomatoes, cook an additional 2 minutes stirring frequently. Remove from heat, reserve. In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese until it's smooth and creamy. Gradually add the half and half cream, and the vinegar. Keep mixing until it is all thoroughly blended. then by hand, mix the spinach and cheddar cheese into the cream cheese mixture. Next, add the reserved chili mixture once the spinach and cheddar are mixed in well. Spoon mixture into over-proof bowl. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until warm. Serve with crackers or crudites. Note: Top with spicy chile seasoned chopped pecans. Also good served with cilantro leaves added or as a garnish. Tip: I like the flavor of a lemon or lime or both instead of the vinegar.