Chicken and Rice Casserole

Always on the lookout for a good casserole.
Don't you love when you can throw it all together in one dish?
I found this one on Picky Palate (is that girl creative or what?!) and it was really good.
Good ol' comfort food...perfect for Fall.

3 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 Tbs. fresh minced garlic
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
3 cups (already cooked) white rice
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic salt

Cheese sauce:
4 Tbs. butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

*Heat oil in a skillet on stove.  Saute onion, celery, and carrots for about 10 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Stir in chicken, rice, salt, pepper and garlic salt.  Reduce heat to low.  Prepare cheese sauce by melting butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk in flour, salt, pepper and chicken broth.  Whisk continuously until thick and nearly bubbling.  Stir in cheese until melted.  Put rice mixture in a casserole dish and pour cheese sauce over it.  Stir to combine.  You can sprinkle some more cheese on top.  Bake for 30 minutes on 350.


*Her original recipe calls for 2 cups white rice and 2 cups wild rice.  I knew my kids wouldn't go for the black rice, so I just stuck with white.  3 cups was plenty.