Patty's Yummy Chicken Rice Casserole

I had a friend 4 years ago who made this for me shortly before she moved away and we lost contact.  Thankfully I asked her for the recipe...but forgot to ask for the name of it.  So I just made it up.  It's really tasty and easy to make.  I usually add green beans or steamed carrots as a side to add some color and a fresh garden salad also.

1 c uncooked rice

1 10oz can of chicken (do not drain)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 c mayo

1/2 c evaporated milk

salt and pepper to taste

4 oz shredded cheese

1. Cook rice according to directions.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. In a large bowl mix all ingredients except cheese.  Pour into greased 9 x 13 casserole dish.
4. Bake 25 minutes.  Sprinkle cheese on top and bake an additional 5-10 minutes.
5. NEW STEP: Turn the broiler on.  Broil casserole for 5-8 minutes, until golden brown on top.

My notes:  I never have evaporated milk, so I use regular milk.  The evaporated milk does make it quite a bit richer and sweeter.  Also, I don't use the canned chicken.  I boil 4 chicken tenders to use in the recipe and either shred the chicken or chop it.  I add 3 tablespoons of the water that I boil the chicken in to make up for the liquid from the canned chicken.  To add more taste to my rice I use the chicken water to make the rice also.