Chicken Rice Casserole

Original Recipe from:  Virginia Bowers-Johnson

This is another of my mother’s famous recipes.  A great winter casserole, it will warm you up from the inside out.  Working moms will find this casserole easy to make, plus you can make it the night before and bake right after work.  A delicious dish to take to welcome a new neighbor, a family with a new baby, or a convalescing friend.     The Village Recipe team of taste testers loved this one.  Thanks Jeanie and Scott!      Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of celery soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 soup can of water

1 stick of butter

1-1/4 cups instant rice, uncooked

6 pieces of chicken (I use thighs but legs will work too)

Directions

Prepare chicken.  Wash and pat dry.  My mother always made this with the skin on.  I prefer to skin the chicken, it’s a healthier option and still tastes good.

Combine soups and water, blend thoroughly.  Add butter and heat in a saucepan over moderate heat.  When warm and thoroughly blended, remove 1 cup of the mixture and set aside.  Then add rice.  Remove from heat.

Pour soup mixture into a 13x9 inch glass baking pan.  Place chicken pieces on top of soup mixture. 

Pour remaining cup of soup mixture over the chicken pieces.

Bake in 325 degree oven for 2 – 2.5 hours. 

Note:  In an effort to be more health conscious I now make this recipe a little different than my mom did.  I skin the chicken, use low fat/low sodium soups and a half stick of butter, it still tastes great.