Dijon Chicken & Veggie Casserole

Dinner tonight was such a hit, I thought I'd post the recipes! I don't remember where I found the chicken dish, but I've adapted the veggie casserole from a recipe in a vegetarian cookbook. The first time I prepared it was when I found out at the very last minute that a guest coming for dinner that night was vegetarian. I was so thankful that my mother-in-law had given me that cookbook! We've loved this casserole ever since.

Dijon Chicken
Cut four chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make them thinner, and then pound them until they are less than 1/4" thick. Combine 1/2 cup Dijon mustard and 3 Tbsp honey and spread over the chicken. Dip each piece of chicken in a mixture of 1-1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, covering completely. Lay the chicken on a greased pan, drizzle lightly with olive oil, and bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes.

Veggie Casserole
Prepare 1/2 cup of brown rice; I just bring about 1-1/2 cups of water to a boil, pour in the rice, and boil for 20 minutes. Drain completely.

While the rice is cooking, chop 1-2 zucchini, 2 carrots (sliced into sticks), 1/2 cup onion, and 2-3 garlic cloves. Feel free to add other vegetables like squash, broccoli, corn, or whatever vegetables are left over from last night! Saute the veggies (except the garlic) in olive oil for 5-10 minutes until somewhat tender; add the garlic near the very end.

Take the veggies off the burner and stir in 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese, salt & pepper, 1 tsp each basil and oregano, and the cooked rice. Pour into a greased or buttered cassrole dish, top with bread crumbs, drizzle the top with just a bit of olive oil, and bake at 400 for about 30 minutes.