Cheesy Chicken & Rice with Cream Sauce

I threw this together tonight with everything I had left in the fridge...it's time for groceries. This turned out great in spite.

Ingredients: 

2 T oil
3 Chicken breasts
6 Celery stalks and leaves
8 Carrots (Katya & David love carrots, you could cut down if you like)
1 White or Yellow Onion
3 C chicken broth
1.5 C milk
5 T butter
3/4 C jasmine rice or other long grain rice
2 T cornstarch
Couple shakes of nutmeg
1 C cheddar cheese (Swiss would be good, too)
Fresh Parsley (dried will do)
Fresh Thyme (dried will do)
Note: if you are using dried herbs add them when you do the chicken broth to the rice, they will soften up when the rice cooks.

Rice, veggies and chicken mixture before cream sauce.

Cream sauce.

Directions: 
 I add salt to each layer as I cook to ensure the flavors come out of each ingredient.

1. In a skillet with oil sear the chicken breast on both sides (this gives great flavor)
2. Add 1 C chicken broth to the chicken and cover.
3. Chop celery, carrots, onion into small pieces and add to chicken, keep covered. Add chicken broth if needed.
4. Rinse rice thoroughly until water runs clear.
5. In a dutch oven melt 3T butter.
6. Add rice to butter and stir until the tips are translucent.
7. Add 1.5 C chicken broth to the rice.
8. Transfer the chicken to a cutter board when done. 
9. Transfer vegetables to the rice mixture, stir and cover on low for 20 minutes. 
10. Cut up chicken into bite size pieces.
11. Using skillet add 1.5 cups milk and 2T butter.
12. Mix 2T cornstarch with 4T chicken stock and whisk.
13. Whisk cornstarch mixture into milk and butter mixture and whisk constantly until thickened.
14. Add couple shakes of nutmeg and 1/2 C cheese.
15. Add chicken to veggetable and rice mixture when the rice is tender to taste.
16. Add cream sauce to chicken and rice mixture.
17. Add fresh herbs to taste. 
18. Top with the remaining cheese and enjoy!