Name: Chicken Casserole D'Iberville
Cook time: 100 min
Total time: 170 min
Ingredients: 2 (3-pound) whole chickens; 1 cup water; 1 cup dry sherry; 2 celery stalks; 1 onion, quartered; 1.5 teaspoons salt; .5 teaspoon curry powder; .25 teaspoon pepper; .25 teaspoon poultry seasoning; 2 (6-ounce) packages long-grain and wild rice mix; .5 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 ¾-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup; 1 sleeve round buttery crackers, crushed (about 1 ½ cups); 1 (6-ounce) can French-fried onions, crushed; .25 cup butter or margarine, melted; .25 teaspoon paprika; .125 teaspoon garlic powder

Cook Time:

1 hrs 40 mins

Active Time:

30 mins

Bake Time:

40 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 50 mins

Yield:

12 to 16 serves

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.

Chicken Casserole D'Iberville — Southern Living

Ingredients

2 (3-pound) whole chickens
1 cup water
1 cup dry sherry
2 celery stalks
1 onion, quartered
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 (6-ounce) packages long-grain and wild rice mix
½ 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 ¾-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 sleeve round buttery crackers, crushed (about 1 ½ cups)
1 (6-ounce) can French-fried onions, crushed
¼ cup butter or margarine, melted
¼ teaspoon paprika
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

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 ¼ cups reserved chicken broth for water and omitting butter. (Add water to broth to equal 4 ¼ cups, if necessary.)
Skin, bone, and coarsely chop or shred chicken.
Melt ½ 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 ½- x 3 ½- 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 ¼ cup melted butter, paprika, and garlic powder. Sprinkle casserole evenly with cracker mixture.
Bake, covered, at 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 to 10 more minutes or until bubbly.

Tips

Make It 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 ¼ cups (26 ounces) canned chicken broth to cook rice.