CHICKEN AND RISOTTO CASSEROLE

by SUE
(APPLEGATE FARMS)

Serve this recipe for Chicken and Risotto Casserole from Applegate Farms with a leafy green salad and some crusty bread for the perfect Sunday supper. This is one of the tastiest chicken casserole recipes around!

Serves: 8

Ingredients
2 boxes Applegate Farms Natural Chicken Patties
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 basil leaves, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
3 cups chicken broth (reserve ½ cup)
2 pounds fresh spinach, or a 10-ounce bag frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, fresh ground
Fresh Tomato Sauce (see notes for recipe)
1 package Applegate Farms Organic Provolone Cheese (rBGH-Free)

Instructions
Rice: In a medium sauce pan, sauté onion, pepper, and garlic in olive oil until golden. Add basil, rice, salt and pepper and sauté until the rice starts to get translucent, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 the stock and simmer while stirring until all the liquid is incorporated into the rice mixture. Repeat this step with the remaining stock, pull off the heat and add the parmesan cheese stirring as you go until it is evenly mixed. Set aside.

Spinach: In a medium pan sauté garlic in the oil until golden. Add spinach until wilted (approx 30 seconds). Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside

Assembly: Spread the rice into a heat proof casserole dish large enough to fit 8 chicken patties. Add stock and distribute evenly among the rice mixture. Spread out patties evenly over the rice mixture. Ladle one heaping tablespoon of sauce over each patty. Distribute the spinach on top of the 8 patties. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Cut about 4 slices of provolone cheese in thin strips and crisscross over chicken for the last two minutes of baking.

Notes
Fresh Tomato Sauce (You can use a 16-ounce jar of tomato sauce as well)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium Spanish onion, minced (approx 2 cups)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 28-ounce can chopped plum tomatoes
12 basil leaves, rough chopped
Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper, to Taste

SOURCE: Applegate Farms Organic Meats & Natural Meats