This weekend, I went through a stack of magazines one last time before they hit the recycling bin. I pulled out a few new recipes to try, and this was one of them. It was from a Campbell's soup ad. I've seen plenty of recipes that call for condensed soups, but I've never made one. Honestly, it always kind of grossed me out. It just seemed like a lot of sodium, preservatives, and mystery seasonings. When I saw this recipe though, I wanted to follow it as closely as possible to test the 'science' of a risotto that you don't need to stir on the stove-top.

I love risotto, but with a very busy house at dinner time, I don't make it on a weeknight. When I saw this recipe for a baked risotto, I got a little excited thinking that I could change the flavour combination should the texture work out. It worked out just great, so editing this recipe for our own tastes is now on next week's menu.

1 (10 oz) can condensed low fat cream of mushroom soup
3/4 C water
1/2 C milk
1/4 C shredded mozzarella cheese
3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
2 C of baby spinach leaves (or 1 cup of frozen spinach)
1 C chopped red pepper
1 C chopped mushrooms
1 chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces (or smaller if you are sharing with a toddler, like us)
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1/4 tsp dried thyme)
3/4 C uncooked Arborio rice

Mix soup, water, milk, and cheese in a shallow 2L baking dish (I used a glass 8X8 dish). Stir in all remaining ingredients. Cover and bake at 400' for 35 minutes. Uncover, stir, and cook for another 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

We enjoyed it, and Isaac gobbled it up too. Next week, I am going to try using cream in place of the soup. I'm not sure what veggies to use, but Isaac loves peas so I'll likely throw some of those in with something else. I'll repost my modifications next week!