Country Crock My World
I have a confession. I am a butter lover.
I have another confession. I donât eat enough veggies.
I have a final confession. I donât let Bean eat butter and I make him eat all his veggies.
Itâs warped, but itâs true. The fact is, I just donât like vegetables. Iâve tried âem steamed, grilled, raw, friedâŚyou name it. Iâm not a vegetable person. Which is why one of my all-time favorite comfort dinners to make is a one-casserole dish, oven-baked, chicken and rice number with nary a vegetable to be found on the plate. Itâs a crowd pleaser, but my momma wouldnât be happy.
Needless to say, when Country Crock (mmmâŚ.buttery spread of goodnessâŚ) asked me to make over one of my favorite dishes and include more veggies, I immediately thought of this dish. Heck, adding ONE pea would have been adding more veggies!
I did my due diligence though and discovered that the USDA guidelines for what a meal should include have changed a bit since the food pyramid of my youth which was built on a firm foundation of carb laden bread. Now, your plate should look like this for portions:
Guess my days of chicken and rice are a thing of the past⌠So, to move into this new age of eating, I decided to make over my basic and beloved chicken and rice recipe to include some, like, healthy stuff. Like carrots. And peas. And corn. And potatoes. And green beans. And whole grain wheat bread.
For the original recipe, I would make two cups of white rice and dump it into a casserole dish with a little salt and pepper. Then Iâd throw two (or four) chicken breasts on top and smother them with cream of mushroom soup. Toss that puppy in the oven and bake at 350 for 45 minutes and â voila! â a satisfyingly unhealthy meal that will make you feel all warm and bloated-like.
This time, I decided to kick the rice and instead used diced potatoes for the starch. Better than the empty calories in white rice anyway.
Next, I threw those diced, raw potatoes into a casserole dish and added one can of mixed veggies, which included peas, green beans, carrots, and corn. I also added fresh diced carrots, celery, and onions because Iâm from the south and you arenât REALLY cooking unless you add the Trinity. (Hint: Frozen mixed veggies would work here, too)
Then I popped the top on a can of cream of mushroom soup because Iâm from the south and you canât REALLY make a casserole without cream of something soup. Pour half the can over the vegetables and mix that all around till everything is good and smothered. Be sure to season with salt and pepper at this step, too.
(Hint: If you are more culinarically advanced than me and can make your own rue, that would be a great way to add in some grains. Or, you could make your own cheese sauce and add in some grains and dairy. But, alas, I am a culinary misfit and so cream of mushroom saves me every timeâŚ)
Finally, take your chicken breasts (I used boneless and skinless because they were on sale) and brush them with butter or a healthy butter alternative (weâre a Country Crock family âround these parts). Place them whole on top of the vegetables. Season these with salt and pepper. Then cover the chicken breasts with the rest of your cream of mushroom soup. Cover and throw that bad boy into the oven on 350 for 45 minutes.
When it came out, it was like heaven on a plate. Seriously. I didnât even miss the rice and the added vegetables made the meal much more hearty. Chris and I were so excited! When I try something new, we never know if it will actually be edible, but this was delicious! Still though, it had to go through the tiny food critic, Bean. Much to my surprise, Bean gobbled it up. He even ate the chicken, which is a rare miracle since I think heâs decided to be a vegetarian. He did tell me it was âspishy,â so next time I might cool it on some of the pepper. It was a little spicy for the little dude.
Overall though, I was pleasantly surprise that with just a little imagination and thinking outside the box, I actually managed to improve a household favorite by ADDING vegetables! Who wouldâve thunk?
My favorite part of the meal though was the Italian multigrain bread with a dab of Country Crock. You canât make this without a side of bread. What would you slop up all the gravy with?!?!
(Gravy is on that new food pyramid, right?)
County Crock is so excited about the new USDA guidelines and my fine culinary expertiseâŚwell, more so about the USDA thing⌠that they are graciously sponsoring a $100 Cooking.com gift card to one lucky reader to help you buy your own supplies so you can make my recipe.
To enter to win, break out your casserole dish and try out my recipe or try one of your own! Just be sure you are sticking to the new USDA standards and filling at least half your plate with veggies. Then come back here and post a comment telling me what you think. The giveaway will be open until September 30 and Iâll post a winner shortly after.
Good luck and happy cooking!
RULES:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
– Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt in this post
– Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
– Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
– For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.
Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by email.
You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here. Check out the blogher.com Promotions & Prizes Page here.
Enter between September 2 – September 30.
137 Comments
Jen M
Looks great! If it makes you feel better my daughter is 3 and i’m convinced she is trying to become a vegetarian as well. Although, she does love beef jerky. I’m not exactly sure what that means.
Kim B
Sounds good, I will have to try it.
Jennifer@browneyedandblessed
you’ve given a non-veggie eater hope that I can raise a child to eat veggies one day when I, myself, don’t like very many of them. I’m trying though, with carrots and spinach in my salads
Jessica
Your meal looks great! I’m a fan of veggies…and hopefully the sprout developing in my belly will also…once I stop craving Taco Bell…
Alyssa
Cool! I also love Country Crock! It’s all we use unless we are baking.
Jessica K
I hate veggies too!!! And really, what you made could be stuffed into a pot pie. đ
My family has always used country crock though, and I (being the grocery shopper) still get it. My husband’s family just bought whatever was on sale.
Andrea D
That looks so yummy.
abi
Looks good – yay for more veggies! I am constantly trying to find new ways to get them in our diet…but not always succeeding….
Erin B
We’ve been trying to add more veggies lately! I’ll give it a try!
Fern
looks good. I like certain vegetables. Made a dish last week that used some fresh tomatoes from my garden.
Lori @ I Can Grow People
There really is nothing like a casserole to make you feel all warm and cozy inside.
Sarah
This is making me anxious for cooler weather and “casserole season” to get here.
Mari
Nothing better than a casserole…so much easier to mix it all together in one pot!
Nikki
Yum that looks delicious and easy! I’m definetly going to have to try and make that!
Jenna@MomofManyHats
MMM…reminds me of one of our faves: chicken ritz!
Aimee
We live on a farm and are always looking for quick, easy, but still semi-healthy meals…I think I’ll add your casserole to my list of go to meals!
Carrie T
I’ve never been a veggie fan either. That was until I bought a veggie steamer. We steam everything and with some country crock thrown on top it’s all good!
Sara @ embrylovescookies
I really like the new portion plate, I think it’s much easier to follow than the old pyramid. Also, I’ve found that if I put Country Crock on steamed veggies, my kids will actually eat that many!
dana
my mom makes a great green bean casserole with cream of mushroom soup, sprinkled with crunchy fried onions. yum.
(i adore veggies, but i can’t cope with canned ones â they taste like mush. this year i got a farm share, and everything is infinitely more delicious.)
Jennifer F
I love casseroles, especially in the summer! The least amount of time in a hot kitchen, sign me up! We just tried a new casserole last night with chicken and broccoli. Amazingly enough I tried to make my own “cream of something” and it turned out really good! Not nearly as hard as it seems! Thanks for sharing the recipe, this will be next on the try list!
Nikki
I’m definitely going to try out this recipe. I tried a squash and zucchini casserole recipe out last night, and we really enjoyed it! Here in TX it dropped to the high 60’s for the lows and only low 90’s for the highs, so it’s the start of fall season for us!
Jennifer F
Twitter post! : ) https://twitter.com/#!/Jenn_Fan/status/111107270615642112
KatieS
I am CONSTANTLY battling with my dislike of veggies and the guilt I feel will avoiding them. But, if you say this adding veggies thing works…guess I will have to try it!!
Amanda
I tried this with cream of mushroom roasted garlic soup! I love garlic. For veggies I put in celery, onion, carrot, peas, green beans and corn. Yummy!
Stephanie @ Blonde Highlights
I heart butter and I heart that recipe! It looks super easy! đ
Cecily
Love casseroles but dont make them often because of the unhealthy cream of something soups! I will try it though!
Colleen
Great with fresh veggies from the Farmer’s Market–they had fresh homebaked bread to go with the Country Crock. Delish!!
Nancy
I love one-dish meals. Chicken and rice is my favorite combination, also. I’m going to make a suggestion… Potatoes aren’t much better than white rice so next time, try brown rice. I never really was a brown rice fan but once I learned to cook it properly, and realized that my kids prefer brown rice to white, there was no looking back! Also, if anyone is wondering, it’s very easy to make your own cream-of-something soup… Make a roux with butter and flour, stir in some broth and cream, let it reduce and get thick, and voila…you can add in mushrooms or broccoli or whatever.
RJ (Kids and Cast Iron)
I am sure your dish is wonderful as is! I am not a fan of cream of.. soups though. I am one of those cooker types though who makes my own mushroom sauce. I put the rice back in too! I just think it goes so well with this dish. I love dishes where you can put veggies into it. Honestly I never think about veggies (but I too give them to my baby), they aren’t my favorite. I usually only make them when they are apart of a dish! Good job, your dish was a good base to start with!
Amy
One-dish meals are the best. The prep and clean up is the worst part of cooking! This sounds like a winner!
K
Wow, looks like comfort food to me! Thanks for sharing a healthy and EASY recipe!
Mindee@ourfrontdoor
Very creative Katie. I bet that would work in the slow cooker too!
nycldenise
Oh man… this actually made me want veggies. (see: potatoes) So tonight we’re cookin some fish and veggie mix. Yum!
Courtney H
That looks so yummy!! Definently on the menu this week…can’t wait to try it!
Jenny @ Fondant is Gross
Looks good! I hope that the new guidelines help the nation eat healthier, it’s a cause that I hold dear!
Maria
My kiddos are both soo picky. I have to be tricky about getting them to eat their veggies. I puree a lot and put them in sauces, soups, etc. It’s a constant battle but one I’m determined to win!
Angie
Green bean casserole could be so unhealthy (especially when I triple the fried onion portion…) but it is oh-so-good. It is still a VEGGIE though so that makes me feel better…
Tiffany
This looks and sounds delicious. I will change the cream of mushroom soup to cream of chicken soup. Not a mushroom fan. I’m trying it this weekend.
Elaine
I make something similar to this, but I use brown rice (will try potatoes next time!) and I make my own cream of soup and top it with LOTS of broccoli. I’m not a huge fan of veggies, but I do love some broccoli!
Calypso
Vegetable Curry.. Oh.. it’s… amazing.. and SPICY..
2 T mild curry powder
1.5 t garam masala
4 T vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves minced
1 T grated ginger
1/2 serrano chile seeded & minced
1 T tomato paste
2 medium onions minced
2 potatoes cubed
1/2 cauliflower cut in florets
1 can diced tomato
1.25 cups water
1 can chickpeas
1/5 cups frozen peas
1/4 coconut milk
salt to taste– I use about 1 tsp or less..
Recipe:
Toast curry and garam masala in small skillet about a minute. I use a big stock pot… In small bowl mix 1 T oil and garlic, ginger, serrano chile and tomato paste.. SECRET: instead of the serrano chile I use a sauce from vietnamese restuarants: Sriracha sauce… about 1 TB.. it’s HOT… and I love it…
Heat remaining 3 T oil in dutch oven (medium high heat). Who has a dutch oven? What the heck is a dutch oven? I just add it to the stock pot… Add onions and potatoes until tender and caramelized (10 mins).
On medium heat, clear center of pot and add garlic mixture. Cook, mashing mixture into veggies. Add spices and cook 1 min longer. Add cauliflower and mix.
Add ingredients 11-13, plus 1 teaspoon salt, scraping brown bits from bottom of the pan. Bring to boil over medium high heat stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender. Stir in peas and cream and continue to cook about 2 more mins. Season with salt to taste and serve over rice.. I don’t need the rice.. sometimes I roll it up in a tortilla but mostly I eat alone.. LOVE IT!!!
Julienne
I’m sad Country Crock and bread doesn’t make up the MyPlate diagram.
Abigail
I’m excited that the USDA is pushing for Americans to eat more veggies! Delicious!
Susan Smith
This sounds great, I actually like vegetables, I wish my children did too.
Susan Smith
http://twitter.com/#!/susan1215/status/111589812003291136
Elisabeth A.
I struggle to eat enough veggies but I’ve found if they’re mixed in, I don’t mind it as much. Your dish sounds great!
Heather
I tried this dish. Mine was kind of a failure lol! It didn’t look as soupy as your does in your last pic.. which I think would have made it better and for some unkown reason my chicken didn’t thaw all the way so it took forever to cook. HOWEVER the meal itself was really good! It actually tasted like a chicken pot pie!
Kendall
Amazing!!!! I will have to try this!
Meredith
this looks good. I will have to put it on are list of foods to try. I try to stick extra veggies in anything I can. Sloppy joes get shredded carrots, and corn. rice gets corn and peas. I don’t like to hide veggies. But I try to add them in whatever I can. So that if the kids don’t eat their veggies, at least they get a few extra in their main dish.
Tina M
My family love veggies. This recipe looks delicious
Tina M
http://twitter.com/#!/HappyTina0115/status/111649311196065792
Jessie C.
I love how you incorporate all veggies into the dish, looks so good and healthy. I’ll be trying this one.
Jessie C.
tweet.http://twitter.com/#!/tcarolinep/status/111667374717014016
Mami2jcn
Last night I added veggies to our dinner of shrimp and rice. It went well.
Mami2jcn
tweet-http://twitter.com/#!/mami2jcn/status/111793103194701825
Kat @ living like the kings
Most of the recipes I use include Country Crock! I love it! The recipe you have looks super simple yet delicious too.
Tabs
I made your recipe last night. SO YUMMY!!! The hubs and I were licking our plates. Mine wasn’t as soupy as yours (just like Heather, #46, mentioned) but still very delicious! Thanks for sharing!
karen M
It was a hit at our house, even my picky eaters liked it, you sure do need the bread to slop up the gravy.
lyndsey
mmm this looks so good i can’t wait to try it!
LuAnn
This looks great! Like making dishes that add veggies to the mix.
Beth Anne
I LOVE a one dish meal, especially one that is healthy for the family. Thanks for sharing! And yes, I hope that gravy is on the guide too!!
Beth Anne
Tweeted the contest http://twitter.com/#!/NOLAKitchenCats/status/113482980625874944
Anna Mary
I tried this meal last night. Overall it was yummy, though it took forever to cook. I blame the high altitude; I’m living in Colorado for a wee bit. I didn’t know how to adjust because I am normally cooking at sea level (or below-I’m from Louisiana). Anyway, my family loves veggies so I threw even more than you suggested in: broccoli and mushrooms. I meant to add onions and garlic, but forgot. I also seasoned with Tony Chachere’s because in Cajun country it isn’t cooking unless it has Tony’s ! Need-less-to-say, I will be making this again in the future.
Kirstin
that looks so good!
food grrrl
nothing beats roasted garlic smashed potatoes w/gobs of butter….i mean country crock!!
winnie
Love your recipe re-do! Sounds delish!
Gina @ The Crave to Save
Looks delicious! I may have to give this a try. Thanks for the chance to win!
gina.m.maddox (at) gmail (dot) com
Gina @ The Crave to Save
tweet-http://twitter.com/#!/CrazyItalian0/status/114370051645255680
gina.m.maddox (at) gmail (dot) com
nanjhall
The casserole looks good and easy. I will have to give it a try.
Dorothy P
You are too funny! I’m definitely bookmarking your site đ Thanks for the recipe; I can’t wait to try it out!
http://twitter.com/#!/DPaape
Natalie J Vandenberghe
I loved your comment “you canât REALLY make a casserole without cream of something soup” I have just the recipe to make. I saute zucchini, carrots, and onions in Country Crock, then I add cream of mushroom soup–It is delicious! Of course there’s more to it… Thanks for the giveaway.
Natalie J Vandenberghe
Tweet! https://twitter.com/#!/lexiquin/status/114522462259118080
Jeannett
Letting my four and five year old girls have a hand in growing our own vegetables makes them want to eat them!
ANGEL JACKLYN
GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE! IT’S TO DIE FOR & WITH SLICES OF CHICKEN, MAKE A WHOLE MEAL!
ANGEL JACKLYN
2ND ENTRY TWEET @ http://twitter.com/#!/kytah00/status/114759257123069952
ewhatley
I will definitely make this dish. Looks delish.
Stacy
It looks good, but I would definitely make my own sauce (don’t think I can stomach cream of anything soup from a can). I like the idea of using potatoes instead of rice.
shirley
tweet-http://twitter.com/#!/COUNTRYNEST/status/115082089329725442
shirley
this looks so good, we are going to try it for sure.
Debra F
I haven’t tried your recipe but I do use Country Crock instead of butter in my hash brown casserole – yummy. I’m lucky and my kids eat lots of veggies raw or just plain steamed.
Debra F
tweeted
http://twitter.com/#!/fairydancer35/status/115121195610935296
Norma
Looks delicious! I love casseroles đ
LAMusing
Mmmm… I think I’ll go make my Greek Chicken casserole tonight – and add some more veggies!
LAMusing
Tweet! http://twitter.com/#!/LAMusing/status/115158826784800769
Leann Lindeman
I make something similar to this… Only I use cream of celery, and I put it in the crockpot. Yummy!
Kendra
Looks yummy! And tastes good too! I made this dish the other night but used frozen veggies instead.
Kendra
I tweeted from my phone so can’t copy the link but http://www.twitter.com/monkeetrouble7
Lee
I always like the one pot nature of casseroles and putting it in oven on timer while I attend to other tasks. this recipe was a hit with everyone.
Eugenie
a dish can’t fail with the holy trinity or mirepoix at its base. then add cream of mushroom. not fair. I did this with tuna instead and it was a hit.
Myne Whitman
This looks totally yummy! I think I’ll try it out!
Kerry
Your recipe looks great – I’m going to give it a try soon!
Kerry
tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/KerryBishop/status/116341848074752000
Denise
This looks so yummy!
Susan Peoples
Great idea! Gonna try it soon. I think my son will love it too!
Amanda J.
LOL! Cream of Mushroom Soup save me everytime, too! It would be great in the slow cooker. Thanks for sharing.
Amanda J.
Tweet! http://twitter.com/#!/mssluna02/status/116920029668311040
Georgia
I tried the Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potatoes
from the Crock recipe page, to die for. Love their recipes!
gmissycat at yahoo dot com
Georgia
Tweeted here too
http://twitter.com/#!/gmissycat/status/116946516756791296
gmissycat at yahoo dot com
sherri crawford
this recipe sounds really yummy. i do need to make some changes
Tabathia B
I add peas, carrots and corn to my tater tot casserole which already included mushrooms and the kids loved it
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
Tabathia B
tweet
http://twitter.com/#!/ChelleB36/status/117651527400828928
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
Anne
Looks great! I’ll have to try that some time. And Country Crock is my butter of choice—I feel good about using it since it has added calcium đ
Michelle Taylor
It was great! The sauce ensures my 2 year old eats it, though my husband still pushes around some of the veggies! We looooove Country crock here and are almost done with out giganto tub!
Kate @ RetroModernMom
I love one pot meals! I actually have an amazing crock pot dish with Canadian bacon, barley, potatos and veggies. It doesn’t even taste like it’s low fat and healthy! But of course a nice multigrain bread with a buttery spread is perfect for sopping up the creamy sauce. đ
Danielle
My mom always bought Country Crock when I was growing up too, it’s good stuff. Your dinner looks so yummy, perfect for fall/winter…hearty comfort food : ) and I love Cream soups…they make everything good.
Caroline
Yum! Can’t wait to try it out!
Meredith tucker
Love country crock! This meal looks awesome. I am not a big fan of peas but other than that love veggies!
Ginna
We’re always looking for new ways to add veggies to our diet, we’ll give this a try!
Ariane
I am trying to stick more veggies into our meals too! I think you can add spinach to anything đ
Amy
My hubby isn’t a fan of casseroles, but I get to sneak them in occasionally. I’m trying this next time I’m able to sneak one!
Cheryl
That looks delicious!! I would probably add a few shakes of sea salt and garlic powder to give it a little more kick. What about broccoli with cheese sauce?
Leah Walker
That looks so super good. I am trying and trying to get my little family to eat better. I wasn’t sure how to do that until I started stalking, I mean following, blogs. Lol. One of my favorite things to find on blogs is recipes because they are always things that my family will actually eat and won’t break the bank. We are big fans of the Crock here though. That’s all we buy (with calcium added of course).
lewalk(at)hotmail(dot)com
Leah Walker
Tweeted.
http://twitter.com/#!/lewalk76/status/118167092909441024
Dessi
I love casseroles!! Maybe I can get my hubby to eat his veggies with this one!
melissa n
I love making a huge batch of turkey chili and add is corn, beans and tomoatoes đ Love veggies!
NAN
I MADE CHILI AND ADDED CHICK PEAS, KIDNEY BEANS, CORN AND 2 KINDS OF TOMATOES..IT WAS DELICIOUS
nannypanpan at gmail.com
Dee
I haven’t really had much luck with casseroles but I’m definitely going to try this recipe! đ Looks yummy!
Dee
tweeted http://twitter.com/#!/DeeGee13/status/118554293157629952
Sarah L
I’ll just add some peas to my tuna casserole.
Thanks for the contest.
Sarah L
blogged: http://slehan.blogspot.com/2011/09/win-100-cookingcom-gc-from-blogher.html
ACMommy3
Your new version of your recipe looks good! đ We too are trying to add extra veggies & healthier choices and it’s going pretty well so far! creedamy [at] yahoo[dot] com
Yvonne H.
Your recipe looks great! Definitely a great alternative to chicken & rice casserole. I think my family will really enjoy this dish.
Maria
This recipe looks yummy. Definitely going to try. I love chicken, cream of mushroom, and vegetable, what else can I say. Oh and the country crock. Thanks.
Michelle
I tried your recipe tonight, but instead of diced potatoes I used Country Crock’s mashed potatoes and added a little cheddar cheese. It was kind of like a chicken sheppard’s pie and was so yummy! Thanks for the recipe we will be having it again!
angie
I love that the gov is finally seeing the need for veggies and less meat! As a vegetarian for over 11 years, I could not try your recipe and never really have an issue with getting enough veggies and fruit. I did make a casserole this week though. LOL Brown rice cooked in veggie broth, 3 types of mushrooms, seitan chunks, and cream of mushroom w/sour cream. yummers!
angie
I tweeted here: http://twitter.com/#!/FotoMacro/status/119435554550063104
Judith
I am a semi strict vegetarian. So veggie are a mainstay on my plate. Maybe 1/4 the amount of chicken in this recipe.
Judith
Blog http://sodahoney.blogspot.com/2011/09/country-crock-makes-veggies-more.html
Sandra Brower
Without realizing it, I had already switched to these portion sizes. I have been raiding my local farmers market all summer and now I get to try the fall veggies coming in season. I do love country crock. My mother has used it since it came to stores in Alabama so many years ago.
Sandra Brower
I tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/Allhoneyhere/status/119570205679697920
shel
Your casserole looks yummy, I’ll have to try it. I make something similar except we call it mock chicken pot pie: 2 cans of cream of chicken/mushroom soup, 1 can of water, a gross ton of carrots and potatoes, chicken breasts (cubed)-cook in a stock pot until veggies are done and add frozen peas. Put it all in a 9×13 pan and cover the top with halved buttermilk biscuits and bake until they’re brown.
shel
Tweeted:
http://twitter.com/#!/auntiethesis/status/119661368747102208
Mari
I have never tried your recipe, but I concur with your suggestion to fill up half of the dinner plate with veggies. We actually take it a step further and try to limit the amount of starchy veggies like potatoes and corn.
Mari
http://twitter.com/#!/LuckyDuckyToo/status/119876291913728000
Donna
Love this recipe! I canât wait to try it â itâll definitely be on the menu next week. We already eat fruits and veggies at least 50-60% of our meals so we’re in good shape but there’s always room for more! đ
sustahl
My family would LOVE that recipe! We would also eat a salad on the side because we love our salads.
sustahl
I tweeted http://twitter.com/#!/rsmstahley/status/120283442108829696
Maybelline @ Naturalmente MamĂĄ
I’m actually cooking this tonight thanks to you.. =)