Testament (Chicken-Rice) Casserole
"Sometimes, more attention to the details is a little more bothersome but the end result pays off. So it is with this casserole. There is some pre-cooking involved (rice and chicken) but the superior flavor of the casserole makes it all worthwhile. The recipe is not at all difficult but it does take just a bit longer to prepare than the traditonal "quick casserole". It took me a few weeks, off and on, to develop this recipe and, after a couple of trials, I found that the chopped artichoke hearts added just the right flavor to enhance the overall dish. I gave a lot of attention to keeping the instructions clear on this one. You can also make it up ahead, bake it, and freeze it for re-heating later. I hope you enjoy it!"
photo by Bone Man
- Ready In:
- 1hr 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 17
- Serves:
-
10
ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 14 ounces canned artichoke hearts, drained, but not rinsed
- 10 ounces cream of chicken soup
- 10 ounces cream of mushroom soup
- 1⁄2 cup 2% low-fat milk
- 1⁄2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules or 2 chicken bouillon cubes, mashed
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1⁄2 large onion, diced
- 4 cups white rice, cooked
- 1⁄2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1⁄2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- cooking spray
directions
- In a small pan, melt the butter, add the olive oil and sautee the parsley and onion until tender. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 325-degrees F.
- In a four-quart cooking pot, fill 2/3 full with hot water and bring to a boil. Stir in the bouillon and kosher salt, then add the chicken breasts. Reduce heat to a low boil, covered, for 30 minutes. At the end of 30 minutes, remove chicken breasts and chop them into 3/4 inch chunks, trimming off any small pieces of fat or gristle as necessary.
- In a large mixing bowl, blend together the two soups, seasoning salt, and the sauteed onions/parsley (no need to drain). Mix the flour into the milk until lumps are gone and add it to the mix.
- Spray a large casserole dish with the cooking spray. Spoon in 1/3 of the soup blend. Next, spoon in the rice and lay the chicken pieces evenly on top of it.
- Roughly chop the artichoke hearts and add them to the remaining soup mix. Spoon this blend onto the chicken and rice.
- Mix together the two cheeses and top the casserole with it. Bake at 325-degrees F. for 30 minutes, covered. Then, uncover the casserole and BROIL on high (middle rack of oven) for about 8 minutes. Keep an eye on it so that it does not burn. You want just a few brown spots on the top.
- Remove casserole from oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes prior to serving.
- NOTE: I use 3 of the frozen-type chicken breasts, which are actually breast HALVES. (I put them into the boiling water while still frozen.) Also, I use one cup of dry Basmati rice (cooked in 2 3/4 cups of water, with 1 tablespoon of butter and a teaspoon of salt) to generate my four cups of rice. See my "Beginners' Rice" recipe for help.
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Reviews
-
Great recipe! I cooked my chicken in an instant pot and made the process super easy. Also, only put artichoke in half the casserole (my husband doesn’t care for it) and we both enjoyed it very much with some garlic bread! -
I really liked this casserole. I don't usually spend this much time on meals, but I was in a bad mood and it was somewhat theraputic. I was looking for a good recipe using artichoke, and I found one! In the future I will probably brown the chicken in a pan rather than boil it, but that is just a preference of mine. Unfortunately, my husband and kids do not like artichokes, so I won't be making this very often. I liked the addition!
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
<p>I am a retired State Park Resort Manager/Ranger. <br /><br />Anyway, as to my years in the State Park System (retired now), I was responsible for 4 restaurants/dining rooms on my park and my boss at Central Headquarters said I should spend less time in my kitchens and more time tending to my park budget. I spent 25 years in those kitchens and worked with some really great chefs over those years, (and some really awful ones too!) <br /><br />I spent THOUSANDS of hours on every inch of that park and adjacent state forest (60,000 acres) and sometimes I miss it. But mostly I miss being in that big beautiful resort lodge kitchen. I miss my little marina restaurant down on the Ohio River too. I served the best Reuben Sandwich (my own recipe -- posted on 'Zaar as The Shawnee Marina Reuben Sandwich) in both the State of Ohio and the Commonwealth of Kentucky down there and sold it for $2.95. Best deal on the river! <br /><br />They (friends and neighbors) call my kitchen The Ospidillo Cafe. Don't ask me why because it takes about a case of beer, time-wise, to explain the name. Anyway, it's a small galley kitchen with a Mexican motif (until my wife catches me gone for a week or so), and it's a very BUSY kitchen as well. We cook at all hours of the day and night. You are as likely to see one of my neighbors munching down over here as you are my wife or daughter. I do a lot of recipe experimentation and development. It has become a really fun post-retirement hobby -- and, yes, I wash my own dishes. <br /><br />Also, I'm the Cincinnati Chili Emperor around here, or so they say. (Check out my Ospidillo Cafe Cincinnati Chili recipe). SKYLINE CHILI is one of my four favorite chilis, and the others include: Gold Star Chili, Empress Chili and, my VERY favorite, Dixie. All in and around Cincinnati. Great stuff for cheap and I make it at home too. <br /><br />I also collect menus and keep them in my kitchen -- I have about a hundred or so. People go through them and when they see something that they want, I make it the next day. That presents some real challenges! <br /><br />http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/parks/shawnee.htm</p>
