I took the time to read the reviews before I made this and I think I made a compromise that could help those who didn't care for it. I sauteed the rice (I used basmatti) in a little olive oil and butter till it was translucent thus cooking it a bit. I than used 2 cups of chicken broth instead of the 1 cup of vegetable broth called for. I also used marjoram instead of oregano majoram has a similar flavor but is a bit "mellower" and more rounded. I than covered it with foil as it cooked and it came out perfect. Oh and I also lowered the cooking temp to 375 and cooked it for the time indicated. I think with these small tweaks this recipe is really wonderful and was well liked by myself and my family!
I am glad that I read the reviews before making this dish. I made the following changes and substitutions. It was a huge hit! Turned out great! I sauted half a medium sized onion half a clove of garlic (could add more..I definitely will add more next time) and 2 huge chopped up portobello mushrooms (again could have added more..yum!) in the 1/4 cup of butter. I added the spices to the onion/mushroom mix. Following the suggestion of another reviewer I substituted marjoram for the oregano. I used a 1/2 tsp of marjoram but could have added more. I lightly sauted the rice (uncooked jasmine rice) in a touch of olive oil in a separate pan. (I do think this step could be skipped...I was following the advice of another reviewer) While those things were sauteeing I mixed my wet ingredients. I used the entire can (2 cups) of chicken broth (I couldn't find vege broth) the can of mushroom soup and a cup and a half of milk. I whisked that all together and added the rice and mushroom/onion mix. I had to put this in a bigger pan (13x9) and covered in foil and baked at 350 for exactly 30 minutes. My oven bakes hot so it probably was really 375. The portobellos were tasty but they did give the rice a brown look. All in all with the ammendments it was tasty and a hit at my dinner party!
Sorry I did not like this recipe at all. After baking for 45 minutes the rice was still hard! I kept having to add water to it. Because this dish was holding up dinner I ended up cooking it on the stove adding even more water. Turned out mushy. I didn't care for the spices either.
After reading all the reviews it became apparent the recipe writer meant to use minute rice not long cooking rice. Adjusting the water for regular rice and covering it makes a world of difference. Tasty enough for you to try just alter the water depending on if you have quick rice or regular rice
I make this all the time. The reason people are having trouble with it is you must bring the liquid to a boil before adding all the ingriedience to the cassarole dish. heat the soup and broth on the stove or microwave first.
This dish was great but I did make a few changes which made it even better. I agree that you have to use Minute rice...and saute it in butter and olive oil beforehand. I used one can (15 oz.) of vegetable broth and I used golden mushroom soup. I baked it covered with foil at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Then uncovered remaining time till golden brown. It was fabulous!!
After reading all the reviews I decided to change it before I even started. I cooked the rice first in water on the stove with the butter(not melted) added the rest of the ingredients (omitted the oregano-didn't seem like it fit the recipe) lowered the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees and baked it for about thirty minutes. It was very delicious!!! Will definately make again but not how the recipe directs!
I'm sad to say this one did not work for us. I pre-cooked the rice (as others have suggested) and added some garlic into the mixture. Although it cooked great (and looked great) it was a blend of tastes that we did not enjoy. I can't put my finger on it but something about this recipe just doesn't taste right. I can't say what spices should be used but I don't think oregano or parsley should have been one of them. Thanks anyways.
I'm glad to see I'm not the only who had trouble with this recipe. The rice got dried out and I had to add water at least 3 times and continue waiting while my chicken was sitting on the stove getting cold. It was not really very tasty either. Never again!
