Vegetable Rice Casserole with Ham (Pisces)

http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/recipet.cgi?r=270748

Yield 6.

Ingredients:

1 tsp butter or margarine
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
3/4 cup rice
10 oz frozen corn kernels
10 oz frozen peas
2 tbl flour
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
8 x green onions trim coarsely chop
1/2 lb extra lean ham slice 1/2" cubes
1 cup lowfat cheddar cheese shredded
1/4 cup chopped parsley optional
3 oz Neufchatel cheese optional

Method:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking dish; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring the broth and milk to a boil over medium heat.

Add the rice and cook for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the corn and peas and break them up to separate. Stir in the flour, oregano and pepper. Add the green onions and ham. Add the cheddar cheese and parsley. Blend; set aside.

In a small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with about -1/3 cup of the hot broth-milk mixture until smooth. Stir the cream cheese into the vegetable mixture. Then stir in the remaining rice with the broth-milk mixture. Place the mixture in the prepared baking dish. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the rice is tender. Stir several times during baking for even cooking.