Trying Out a New Casserole Recipe This Week

I picked up the ingredients for a chicken and rice casserole on Tuesday after work. The recipe came from an old magazine I found in the back of the pantry, and it looked straightforward enough for a weeknight. I stopped at the grocery store on my usual route and grabbed a rotisserie chicken along with some fresh carrots and celery. The store had a display of summer produce near the front, so I added a bag of peaches that looked decent. The air near the entrance smelled faintly of the bakery section even though it was already past five, and the automatic doors kept whooshing open behind me as people hurried in with reusable bags. I lingered a minute by the peaches, pressing one gently to check for softness before dropping the bag into the cart.

Ren got home around six and helped chop the vegetables while I measured out the rice. We keep a big stockpot for these kinds of meals because it frees up the oven for other things later in the week. The kitchen stayed pretty warm even with the fan running, so we opened the back door to let some air move through. The fan made a low clicking sound every few rotations, and the breeze that finally came in carried the faint scent of cut grass from the neighbor’s yard. Ren mentioned that his sister had called earlier from Riverton and asked if we wanted any of the preserved starfruit she put up last month. I told him to bring a jar next time she visits. While we worked, he told me about a meeting that had run long and how the coffee in the break room had tasted like it had been sitting since morning.

While the casserole baked I cleaned off the counter and sorted through the mail that had piled up. Most of it was the usual bills and flyers, but there was a coupon packet from the hardware store that might be useful for the shelf project I have been putting off. I also took a quick call from Lissa about her new client who wants a complete living room redo. She always has good stories about the odd requests she gets. The phone felt warm against my ear after a few minutes, and I had to shift the stack of mail with my free hand so nothing slid onto the floor. Through the oven door I could see the edges of the casserole starting to bubble.

The casserole came out with the top a little darker than I expected, but the inside was fine once we let it sit for ten minutes. We ate on the couch with the news on in the background. They were running a segment on some local roadwork that has been dragging on since the big flood of ‘08. Ren said the new overpass should finally open by fall, which would cut his commute by a few minutes. The rice had soaked up just enough broth that each bite stayed together without being mushy, and the carrots still had a little crunch left even after the extra time in the oven.

Wednesday I went back out for a couple of things I had forgotten, including extra broth and some cheese for the top. The store was quieter in the middle of the day, so I took my time and looked at the spice aisle even though I did not need anything new. The jars were lined up in neat rows under bright lights that made the labels easy to read, and I caught myself reading a few out of habit before moving on. On the way home I noticed the sky had that hazy look it gets when the dust storms start rolling in from the west. It has become pretty regular this time of year. A thin layer of grit had already settled on the windshield by the time I pulled into the driveway.

I put the leftovers in the fridge for lunch the next day and started a load of laundry while the kitchen cooled down. Ren and I usually do one big grocery run on the weekend, but splitting it up this week made the evenings feel less rushed. The recipe is simple enough that I might try it again with a different protein once the peaches are gone.