Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Source: my mom, Peggy (I think she said it came from an old ward cookbook from years ago)

Ingredients:
1 cup rice (not cooked - yet)
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/4 - 1/2 green pepper, diced (optional - suggested by by sister) (I went with them)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 6 oz can mushrooms (optional) (I opted for the mushrooms)
1/4 cup pimento (optional) (I left these out)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup slivered almonds (optional) or cracker or bread crumbs (I went with bread crumbs)
1 1/2 cups light cream or milk (I used evaporated milk + 1% milk)
chicken broth (see directions)
3 cups cooked diced chicken (I used probably 2 cups for a double batch)
2 Tablespoons parsley

Directions:
Cook rice.  Cook onion (and green pepper, if using) in butter until tender.  Remove from heat.  Stir in flour.  Drain mushrooms, reserving liquid.  Add enough chicken broth to liquid to measure 1 1/2 cups.  Gradually stir into flour mix.  Add cream.  Cook and stir until thick.  Add rice, mushrooms, chicken, pimento, parsley, salt and pepper.  Place in a 2 quart casserole dish.  Sprinkle with almonds or crumbs.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Notes:
My mom always made a double batch of this casserole and froze one to have on hand to take to someone in need in the ward when she served as Relief Society President.  She even made it for us when she came to visit/help after Callie was born, and boy was it tasty then!  Our Relief Society President recently had a baby, so I decided to bring her this comforting, warm, delicious casserole as a dinner for her and her family.  I, too, doubled it, keeping one for us.  It comes together pretty quickly and it really hits the spot.  Another variation by my sister is to leave out the mushrooms and pepper and add broccoli instead.  Sound delish!

(Notes for me for the future: when I doubled the recipe, I used 1 can evaporated milk + 1% milk to make it 3 cups; mushroom liquid + 1 can chicken broth + water from boiling chicken to make it 3 cups.)