Chicken and Artichoke Casserole

I am not typically a fan of anything that entails throwing a bunch of stuff in a casserole dish, covering it with "cream of something soup" and baking. However, I got this recipe from a friend and tweaked it a bit to our tastes, and it was delicious. I served this with Minute brown rice (regular brown rice takes too freaking long to make during the week). Combine the leftover rice and casserole and refrigerate for a very tasty lunch the next day that resembles a creamy risotto.

Chicken and Artichoke Casserole
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 can of artichokes, drained and quartered
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can cream of mushroom soup*
1 can cream of chicken soup*
1/2 c. lemon juice*
1/2 to 1 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese

*Try to get the 98% fat free or low sodium versions of the soups to lighten the dish.

**This is pretty lemony, so if you aren't a big fan of lemon flavor, you can use 1/4 c. lemon juice and 1/4 c. white wine. I liked it, but Mr. Foodie thought it was a little too lemony for his liking.

Heat a bit of oil in a medium skillet and brown the chicken chunks, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the soups, lemon juice (and wine, if using), garlic, parmesan and a little freshly ground black pepper in a casserole dish. It shouldn't need salt because of the soups.

Stir in the artichokes and browned chicken.

Bake for 45 minutes at 325 degrees. Serve with white or brown rice, or any short pasta.