Rice Casserole

This is a recipe I have from my mom and it is one that must be tried to know how good it is! (Pictures don’t do it justice.) It’s a great side dish for BBQ’s, goes well with fish or chicken. It’s also one I’ve often made for family gatherings. I have not tried it with brown rice, but I think as long as you use the right amount of water, it should be okay. I have had the best results with Uncle Ben's converted rice or Safeway brand barboiled rice. I used basmati rice last time and really liked the flavor of that too. Leftovers are good too, I just re-heat in a pot with a bit of water. Leftover rice can also be added to vegetable or tomato soup, cabbage rolls, filled peppers, etc.

Ingredients:
2 cups rice
4 cups water
1 red pepper, chopped
1 pkg. onion soup mix
1 can mushrooms with water
3 Tbsp Soy sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 Tbsp oil

Mix all ingredients (except water) in a 9X13 Pyrex pan or large (3 quart) casserole dish. Stir in the water. Bake at 350F for 1 hour. Sometimes I cover it and sometimes I don’t. If the dish has a lid I put it on and uncover once it’s cooking. If it doesn’t, I cover it with aluminum foil once it looks like it might dry out.
To make this recipe smaller, divide in half and omit the can of mushrooms. (Use a glass baking dish that would hold at least 6 cups of water.)