Cheesy Skillet Chicken with Rice and Green Beans

I'm not a fan of casseroles. For some reason, they've always grossed me out, because they look like a bunch of slop thrown together in an attempt to make something that would be good to eat. That being said, although I generally do not like casseroles (I only remember eating one that I really liked, and I don't have the recipe), I do like one dish wonders. For whatever reason, I do not consider one dish wonders made in a skillet, on the stove, an actual casserole.

The night I first made this, I was looking for something that was easy, sounded like it would taste good, wouldn't make a huge mess, and that I had all the ingredients for. This recipe won, and was pretty yummy. Everyone at the table had seconds (some even had thirds!). It's kid friendly. And with the addition of cheese, you can't go wrong!

(I actually didn't have ALL of the ingredients the recipe called for. I didn't have mushrooms or green beans, so I substituted onions, an orange bell pepper, and peas.)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
8 ounces white button mushrooms, brushed clean and quartered or sliced
4 medium garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 ½ cups long grain white rice
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ pound frozen or fresh green beans
1 cup shredded sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until the oil is rippling and hot. Carefully lay each chicken breast in the skillet and cook until the chicken is well browned on the first side, about 3-4 minutes. Flip the chicken with a pair of tongs and let it brown on the second side, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Drain all but about 1-2 tablespoons oil from the pan.

Return the pan to medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, scraping the browned bits off the bottom and edges of the pan, until the mushrooms begin to soften and start to brown, about 6-8 minutes. Add the rice and continue to cook until the edges of the rice turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken to the pan and cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the rice is mostly cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the skillet again, brushing off any rice that sticks to the chicken back into the skillet. Cover the chicken with foil to keep warm. Stir the green beans into the skillet, stir the mixture well, cover and continue to cook on low until the beans and rice are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

(Source: www.melskitchencafe.com)