A New Chicken and Rice Recipe

I like the "traditional" chicken and rice recipe -- chicken, white rice, cream of mushroom soup. I think it's one of the first things I prepared for my husband when we began dating. Recently, on Paula's Home Cooking she made a chicken and rice casserole, with a few additions. I tried it at home and aside from the fact that it makes a very large casserole, it's really tasty. It's also very simple to make. I omitted the water chestnuts because I don't care for them. The pimentos and wild rice add a nice flavor to the dish. Since this has green beans, I didn't make another vegetable to serve alongside. With a simple garden salad, this casserole is a meal.

Chicken and Rice Casserole
2 (14 1/2-ounce) can green beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups diced cooked chicken
1 medium onion diced and sauteed
1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 (4-ounce) can pimentos
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (6-ounce) box long-grain and wild rice, cooked according to package directions
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
Pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased 3-quart casserole dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.