Recipe: zucchini and rice casserole

I made this recipe a while ago but I have been a slacker and haven't posted it yet. This recipe is a really sneaky way to get extra veggies into the diet. When all was said and done, had I known how much zucchini/summer squash was in there I would have thought it was just rice. One word of caution, the sauce as it stands is sort of blah. However, after adding some garlic, onion powder and a bit of extra salt to the party I think it turned out quite tasty.

You will need:

1 1/2 cups long-grain brown rice (**I used white rice because I'm not a fan of brown)
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 cups diced zucchini/summer squash (I grated instead of diced for a more pleasing texture)
2 red or green bell peppers, chopped
1 large onion, diced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups shredded pepper Jack cheese, divided
1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) corn kernels
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (I omitted this)
8 ounces turkey sausage, casings removed
4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese , (Neufchâtel)
1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapeños


Preheat oven to 375°F.

Pour rice into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. Stir hot broth into the rice along with zucchini, bell peppers, onion and salt. Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 35 to 45 minutes more. **If you use white rice, do not cook for any additional time!

Meanwhile, whisk milk and flour in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until bubbling and thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add 1 1/2 cups Jack cheese and corn and cook, stirring, until the cheese is melted. Set aside. Taste the sauce at this point. If it's too blah, feel free to add additional seasoning to flavor it to your liking.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add sausage. Cook, stirring and breaking the sausage into small pieces with a spoon, until lightly browned and no longer pink, about 4 minutes. (I didn't use the oil and cooked it in a non-stick skillet with Pam instead).

When the rice is done, stir in the sausage and cheese sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Jack cheese on top and dollop cream cheese by the teaspoonful over the casserole. Top with jalapeños.

Return the casserole to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.

When, not if, I make this recipe again I will most likely leave out the sausage. It didn't really bring much to the dish in my opinion. This is a really great vegetarian dinner option. It's super filling and very, very good for you. This will make a full 9x13 dish so if you don't think others will like it you might want to cut the recipe in half.