Chicken Casserole D'Iberville

This recipe, from Charlotte Skelton's book Absolutely a la Carte (A la Carte Alley, $22.95), is named after a community north of Biloxi. When pressed for time, try the Kitchen Express method below.

Yield: Makes 12 to 16 servings

Ingredients

• 2  (3-pound) whole chickens
• 1  cup  water
• 1  cup  dry sherry
• 2  celery stalks
• 1  onion, quartered
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  curry powder
• 1/4  teaspoon  pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon  poultry seasoning
• 2  (6-ounce) packages long-grain and wild rice mix
• 1/2  cup  butter or margarine
• 2  (8-ounce) packages sliced mushrooms
• 1  bunch green onions, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1  (8-ounce) carton sour cream
• 1  (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1  sleeve round buttery crackers, crushed (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1  (6-ounce) can French-fried onions, crushed
• 1/4  cup  butter or margarine, melted
• 1/4  teaspoon  paprika
• 1/8  teaspoon  garlic powder

Preparation

Bring first 9 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven; reduce heat, cover, and simmer 1 hour or until chicken is done. Remove chicken, reserving broth in Dutch oven. Let chicken cool. Pour broth through a fine wire mesh strainer into an 8-cup liquid measuring cup; discard solids.

Cook rice according to package directions, substituting 4 1/4 cups reserved chicken broth for water and omitting butter. (Add water to broth to equal 4 1/4 cups, if necessary.)

Skin, bone, and coarsely chop or shred chicken.

Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; add mushrooms and green onions, and sauté 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in rice, chicken, sour cream, and soup. Spoon mixture into 8 (2-cup) casserole dishes, 8 (5 1/2- x 3 1/2- x 2-inch) mini-loaf pans, 3 (8-inch or 9-inch) square baking dishes, or 1 (4-quart or 15- x 10-inch) casserole dish.

Stir together crushed crackers and fried onions. Stir in 1/4 cup melted butter, paprika, and garlic powder. Sprinkle casserole evenly with cracker mixture.

Bake, covered, at 350° for 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 to 10 more minutes or until bubbly.

To make ahead: Cover casseroles tightly with foil, and freeze unbaked up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Bake as directed. (Casserole may also be baked frozen. Plan to double the baking times.)

To microwave one frozen, unbaked 8-inch square casserole: Casserole must be in a microwave-safe dish. Cover dish with wax paper. Microwave at HIGH 15 to 16 minutes or until casserole is bubbly, giving dish a half-turn once.

To microwave one thawed, unbaked 8-inch square casserole: Follow directions to microwave a frozen, unbaked casserole, reducing microwave time to 7 to 8 minutes.

Kitchen Express: Use 2 deli-roasted chickens (about 2 pounds each) in place of boiled chickens. Use 1 cup dry sherry and 3 1/4 cups (26 ounces) canned chicken broth to cook rice.

Charlotte Skelton, Cleveland, Mississippi, Absolutely a la Carte, Southern Living, AUGUST 2004