Dairy-Free Chicken & Rice Casserole

Recently, I've needed to eat a dairy-free diet on and off. One thing I've been missing a lot are those tasty creamy casseroles that are so easy to make and so yummy! But, alas, they usually contain cream, cheese, milk, and/or other dairy products. I went on a hunt for a dairy-free casserole and found this gem. It seemed like it might be a bit bland, so I made a few modifications, including adding onions and french fried onions.

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked rice
• 2 cups cooked shredded or cubed chicken
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3-4 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme, plus more to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, plus more to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder, plus more to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
• 3 cups water
• 1-1/4 cup frozen peas 
• 1/2 cup sliced frozen carrots
• 1/2 cup sliced onion
• 1/4-1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs (make sure they are dairy-free)
• 1/4-1/2 cup french fried onions (make sure they are dairy-free)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F
2. In large skillet bring 2 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp water to a light simmer.
3. Add flour slowly and blend until smooth.
4. Add 1/4 t. thyme, 1/8 t. onion powder, 1/8 t. garlic powder.
5. Slowly add 3 cups of water and bouillon then continue blend until its a smooth consistency.
6. Add cooked chicken and stir.
7. Lightly grease a casserole dish and layer rice in bottom.
8. Layer peas, carrots, and onion onto rice and sprinkle with salt and any additional spices you want.
9. Carefully pour chicken mixture over vegetables.
10. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the casserole.
11. Bake for 25 minutes. 
12. Top with french fried onions and bake 5-10 minutes more.

This casserole turned out better than I'd expected a dairy-free casserole to be! For not having any cheese, it was very good! It hit the spot, and I hardly missed the cheese and milk (ok, I did kind of miss them).