Michael's World Fair Vegetable Rice Casserole

Michael's Boy Scout troop traveled from Michigan to New York City for the World's Fair in 1964. They made this Boy Scout manual recipe over a campfire and handed out samples to other visitors to the Fair. I wish I had seen their campfire in the middle of the city! Michael suggests that you taste this recipe often while cooking to avoid it becoming too salty (my note: try using canned vegetables that are sodium-free, or even frozen vegetables). You can make this in one pot but he calls for two.

1 large can Italian tomatoes
3 cups Uncle Ben's Converted Rice
2 cups Swanson chicken broth
1 stick unsalted butter
2 large Vidalia onions
1 green pepper
1 can each of the following vegetables (or choose your own combinations): green beans, kernal corn, mushrooms

Sauté the chopped onions using not all, but enough, of the butter. Add chicken stock when onions start to caramelize. Toss in the rice and cook it. Add water as necessary. Set the cooked rice aside in a large mixing bowl or in the garbage can.

In your empty pan, put the rest of the butter and the chopped green pepper and sauté like you did the onions. Add water if they stick. Cook until tender.

Add all of the vegetables. All of them. Heat them up. Bust up the tomatoes if you can. Serve the hot vegetables over the rice and onions. If you take this to a potluck, bring the veggies in one dish, and the rice mix in another.

Visit Michael at Everything In Particular, Nerd Shots, Calling All Blondes, Pictures I Love, Those Things Unseens, Impressions and Silk Creek Portal.

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