Alright, let me tell you about this here chicken and rice thing, whatchamacallit, a “casserole.” My old bones remember makin’ somethin’ like this, but we just called it “that chicken stuff.” You city folks got fancy names for everything.
First off, you gotta get yourself some chicken. Don’t matter much if it’s on the bone or them boneless pieces. I always liked the bone-in kind, more flavor, ya know? Just boil it up ’til it’s fallin’ apart tender. Don’t throw away that water, that’s good stuff, full of chicken goodness. You’ll need it later.
Now, get yourself some rice. Not that fancy wild rice, just plain ol’ white rice. We ain’t tryin’ to impress nobody, just fillin’ bellies here. Wash it good, get all that dusty stuff off.
- Then comes the creamy stuff.
- You need a can of that “cream of chicken” soup.
- And a can of that “cream of celery” soup, too.
Sounds kinda weird, I know, but trust me on this. These cans, they got all the seasonings and stuff, saves you a whole lotta trouble. Just dump ’em both right in with the chicken and rice.
Now, remember that chicken water I told you about? Pour some of that in there too. Not too much, just enough to make it all kinda soupy. You don’t want it dry, now do ya? You want it nice and moist, so it ain’t all stuck together when it is done.
Stir it all up real good. Get that chicken and rice all mixed in with them creamy soups. Make sure everything’s coated and happy. This ain’t rocket science, just good ol’ home cookin’.
Next, you gotta bake it. Get yourself a big ol’ dish, somethin’ that can hold all that chicken and rice. Grease it up with some butter, or whatever you got on hand. Don’t want it stickin’, that’s for sure.
Pour that whole mixture into the dish. Spread it out even, so it cooks all the same. Now, you can add some stuff on top if you want. Some folks like to put them crispy fried onions on there. Me? I like to keep it simple. Maybe a little sprinkle of pepper, that’s about it.
Shove it in the oven, about 350 degrees, I reckon. How long? Well, that depends on your oven. Mine’s always been a little finicky. I’d say, ’bout 45 minutes to an hour. You want it bubbly and golden brown on top. The rice should be cooked through and the chicken should be tender and juicy.
And that’s it. That’s all there is to it. Mamaw’s chicken and rice… casserole, whatever you wanna call it. It ain’t fancy, but it’s good. It’ll fill you up and warm you up, just like a good hug from your mamaw. It is mighty fine for get-togethers and parties too, everybody always likes to eat it.
Now go on and make it yourself. You won’t be disappointed. And if you don’t like it… well, more for me!
When I make it, I also like to put in some cut up carrots too. Sometimes I put in peas or green beans too, whatever I got in the icebox. It is good to make it a full meal in one pot ya know? Then you don’t have to make all kinds of other stuff to eat with it. That’s a lot more dishes and a lot more work! I like to make it a big pan and eat on it for a few days. It is good left over too! You just put it in a dish in the icebox and then heat it up in the microwave or oven, whenever you want some. It is nice to have a hot meal ready to go!
And you can use different kinds of meat too. If you don’t have chicken, you can use turkey or even beef. Just cook it up the same way and mix it in with the rice and soups. It’s all about makin’ do with what you got. That’s what we always did back in the day, and we never went hungry.
This casserole is real good for when you got a lot of mouths to feed. It makes a whole lot, and it don’t cost much to make. That’s important, especially these days. Everything’s so expensive, but you still gotta eat. This dish will help you do that without breakin’ the bank.
One last thing, if you got little ones, they might like it with some cheese on top. Just sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese on top durin’ the last 10 minutes of bakin’. It’ll melt all nice and gooey, and the kids will love it. Heck, even us grown-ups like it with cheese sometimes.
So, there you have it, a real stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal. It ain’t pretty, but it’ll get the job done. And that’s all that matters, ain’t it?
One thing is for sure, you won’t be hungry after you have a bowl of this. I like to eat it with a side of cornbread, but that’s just me. You can eat it with whatever you want. Just make sure you make enough because everyone will want seconds!
Tags: Chicken, Casserole, Rice, Easy Recipe, Comfort Food, Dinner, Family Meal, Budget-Friendly
