Casseroles, Chicken, Main Dish, Make Ahead

Chicken Casserole D’Iberville

September 23, 2011 Sharon Leave a comment

This makes a ton! Freeze one for later.

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

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.

Quicker Method: Use 2 deli-roasted chickens (about 2 pounds each) in place of boiled chickens.

12 Servings

Chicken, Main Dish

Chicken Carbonara

September 23, 2011 Sharon Leave a comment

Easy and very good.

2 packages rice, Uncle Ben’s Flavorful Parmesan & Butter Rice

10 ounces bacon, cut in 1 inch slices

1 pound chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, sliced

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup frozen peas, thawed, drained

2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved

3 green onions, thinly sliced

Cook rice according to pkg directions. Cook bacon until crisp; drain off all but 2 tbs. of drippings. Season chicken with salt and pepper as desired. Add chicken, saute until seared on all sides. Add garlic and cream; simmer until it begins to thicken. Add peas, continue to cook until peas are heated through. Stir in enough to thicken to sauce consistency. Serve over rice; garnish with onion, top with cheese if desired.

6 Servings

Chicken, Main Dish, Mexican

Chicken Caliente (King Ranch Casserole)

September 20, 2011 Sharon Leave a comment

3 pounds chicken breasts, or 1 whole chicken, cooked, reserving one cup broth

1 onion, large, chopped

1 green bell pepper, large, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon chili powder

dash garlic salt

1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup

1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

1 (10 3/4 ounce) can Rotel Tomatoes

1/2 pound cheddar cheese, grated

12 corn tortillas, cut into strips

Bone chicken and cut into bite size pieces. Saute onion and green pepper in butter. Combine chili powder, garlic salt, soups, broth and Rotel. Place 1/2 of chicken in a large casserole; top with 1/2 soup mixture, tortilla strips, onion and green pepper, then cheese. Repeat layers. Cook covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes; then uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes. (You can also use flour tortillas instead of corn.)

8 Servings

Casseroles, Chicken, Italian, Main Dish, Make Ahead

Chicken Bruschetta Casserole

September 20, 2011 Sharon Leave a comment

4 cups of Chicken Stove Top stuffing

4 cloves of chopped garlic

2- 14 1/2 oz cans Italian tomatoes diced

1 cup warm water

1 1/2 cups shredded Italian cheeses

4-6 chicken beasts skinless/boneless

salt

Mix the first 4 ingredients together in a bowl. Put half of the stuffing mixture in the bottom of a large casserole. Place salted chicken on top of stuffing. Spoon the remaining mixture on top of the chicken. Bake at 350 for 1 hour , or until chicken reaches 170 degrees on a meat thermometer. Sprinkle with cheese during the last 5 minutes of baking.

Serve with a salad and a bottle of wine!

4 Servings

Chicken, Main Dish

Chicken Breasts with Cranberry-Orange Sauce

September 20, 2011 Sharon Leave a comment

This is very good!

4 sweet potatoes, 8 oz each

4 chicken breasts, about 8 oz each

2 teaspoons herbes de provence

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 navel orange, or mandarin orange sections

1 cup cranberries, whole-berry sauce

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Have ready a shallow baking dish large enough to hold chicken in a single layer with space between each. Prick potatoes. Bake directly on oven rack 45 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet over med. heat. Season breasts with herbs and salt. Starting skin side down, cook 2 1/2 minutes per side until browned. Transfer to baking dish. Bake 1/2 hour or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, squeeze juice from reserved orange membrane into skillet (about 1/4 cup). Stir in cranberry sauce; simmer until thick and bubbly. Stir in orange segments. Top chicken with cranberry mixture; serve with sweet potatoes.

4 Servings