Saturday, November 20, 2010

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

What to make when you are expecting guests for dinner or lunch, but you are not sure of their plans?  It's time to get out the casserole dish and whip up a Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole.
 The first thing that I do is make a cup of tea.
 Then cut up six chicken breasts into small chunks.  (This recipe works well with leftover turkey or chicken.)
 In a large pan, cook the chicken in water until done.
 Meanwhile wash off any wooden cooking items like cutting boards, spoons and the knives that you used for cutting up the chicken.
 Peel and chop a large onion into small bits.
 Chop a whole celery into small bits, eliminating the very end of the stalk.
 Assemble two boxes of long grain and wild rice mix, two cans of cream of mushroom soup, a large container of sour cream (24 ounces), and stuffing mix.
With a slotted spoon, lift the chicken chunks out of the water. Discard the water.
 Cut the cooled chunks into smaller pieces.
 In a large bowl, add the chicken, onion, and celery.
 Sprinkle in some parsley. (You can buy fresh parsley, remove the stems and freeze it.)
 Begin to make the rice mix according to the package directions, by pouring 4 1/2 cups water into a saucepan, with two tablespoons of butter, or margarine.
 Add the dry flavor ingredients.
 Stir together and bring to a boil.  After it has reached a boil, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer.
 Add two cans of cream of mushroom soup,
 the entire container of sour cream to the mixture and
 mix everything well.
 When all the liquid is absorbed into the rice mix,
 add to the chicken mixture.
 Coat the interior of a large casserole dish with cooking spray.
Sprinkle some stuffing mix over the top to give it a little crunch.  It also adds a little more flavor.  Cook for about one hour or until it has heated up to your satisfaction.
 I doubled this recipe, but if you have a smaller group, use half of everything.  One of the things that I like about this recipe is that it is easy to serve as a buffet entry.  You can partner this casserole with the ( click there)  Jarvis House Broccoli Casserole for a really easy addition.  Both casseroles can be frozen ahead of time.

Chicken and  Wild Rice Casserole
6 chicken breasts cut up and cooked
a large onion cut into small pieces
a whole celery cut up into small pieces
fresh or frozen parsley
two cans of cream of mushroom soup
large container of sour cream
stuffing mix
cooking spray
two boxes of long grain and wild rice mix
4 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine