Chicken and Veggie Medley Stove Top Casserole

I am always on the go and I rarely have a lot of time to make a meal. I always look for ways to shorten my prep and cook times while still making a filling and healthy meal. I do a lot of experimenting with different ingredients and I come up with many quick and easy meals that I love, such as this one. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have. Note: If you prefer fresh ingredients instead of canned, feel free to substitute them. Also, if you prefer brown rice instead of white rice, go for it. Happy cooking!

Start by measuring out all of your ingredients. You can do this one by one, or all at one time. Dump the onions, green pepper, mushrooms, chicken, peas, corn, and rice in one big mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly. Melt your butter. You can do this while you're mixing the ingredients. I recommend using the microwave, but you can also melt it by putting it in a large skillet or wok (the one you will use to stir fry the meal in). Just be sure to not put the heat too high while you are melting the butter. You don't want to cook it or burn it.

Tip: I use boil in the bag rice because its fast. I usually keep some already pre-cooked in my refrigerator. I also keep a container of sliced onion and green pepper in my refrigerator, as well as chopped mushrooms.

Once the ingredients are mixed thoroughly, you are now ready to saute them. There is a lot of the mixture, so I usually do this in two or three batches so that it's thoroughly sauteed. However many batches you decide to do, split the butter evenly between the batches. Your heat should be medium-high. Let the butter warm in the skillet or wok first, then for each batch, add the mixture to the pan and let it cook, stirring the mixture every five to ten seconds. Saute each batch for about ten minutes (I like mine thoroughly cooked, but you can cook less if you want).

Tip: If you don't need this many servings at once, the unused mixture can be stored in the refrigerator before you saute it. This way you can pull it out as needed and cook it fresh each time and it won't taste like left overs. Or, you can simply reduce the amount of ingredients before you start.

Use the salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper to season your food as you saute it. Remember, if you cook in batches, split the seasoning up evenly. There is nothing worse than over-salted food! I have provided a recommended amount of seasoning according to my own tastes, but of course you can adjust the amount of seasoning to match your own tastes. Some brands may be more potent than others, so this is something else to keep in mind as you season your food.

Once you are done sauteing the food, immediately sprinkle the cheddar cheese on the top of each serving while the food is hot. This way, the cheese will quickly melt on top of the food, giving it that "yummy" looking presentation. I also like to have a serving of fruit on the side as well to complete all of the food groups in the meal. Red delicious apples are my favorite with this dish, but I will also eat grapes, strawberries, or blueberries with it as well. I also like the fact that the fruit will give the dish a pop of color as well.

Serve to your friends and family immediately and watch everyone enjoy this yummy and healthy meal. It's so good, they will think that you spent a lot of time in the kitchen preparing the meal. Feel free to leave any comments and let me know what you think about the recipe. Also, if you try the recipe, please leave any feedback about how yours came out. Enjoy!