Evelyn’s Chicken and Rice Casserole
Here’s some things to avoid doing on Christmas morning.
Don’t haphazardly put the casserole your aunt made in a bag.
Don’t drive that casserole across town.
Don’t carry that casserole into a home with tile floors.
Don’t accidentally drop the stupid bag with the broken handle on the tile floor.
If you do that… everything will break.
If you drop the casserole and break the dish you’ll surely have to throw everything away… no one wants to eat glass.
If you throw every broken thing away, you’ll make your aunt cry.
Don’t make your aunt cry on Christmas. That would be totally stupid. Do Not Do That.
And if you do… make your aunt a new casserole. Duh.
Sigh.
This is my Aunt Judy’s Mom’s old school casserole recipe
Old school casseroles have like… four ingredients in them…. with potato chips on top. They’re delicious. It’s weird.
Rotisserie chicken and rice with creamy soup and a few veggies. It tastes like dinner. Dinner tastes delicious.
This recipe makes two casseroles. I think it’s classy to make one for yourself and take one to a friend. I dunno…. maybe I’m weird.
Incidentally, if you’re upset with me for all of the savory recipes… well… make yourself some Fruity Banana Bread.
I’m in charge here.
Evelyn’s Chicken and Rice Casserole
makes 2 8-inch casseroles
2 cups cooked white rice
2 cups diced celery
1/4 cup diced onions
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 rotisserie chicken
1 15-ounce can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
3/4 cup slivered almonds
3/4 cup crushed potato chips
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Cook rice and place in a large bowl.
Saute celery and onions with 1 tablespoon of olive oil until onions are cooked and browned. Place mixture in a large bowl with the rice.
Stip meat from rotisserie chicken and place in the bowl. Add cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, a few pinches of salt and a few turns of fresh ground pepper. Stir well to incorporate all of the ingredients. Spoon mixture into two 8-inch baking dishes and top with slivered almonds and crushed potato chips. Bake at 300 degrees F for 1 hour.
If you’d like, you can freeze an unbaked casserole in the casserole dish. When ready to bake, let it thaw in the fridge overnight, top with almonds and crushed potato chips and bake.
My mother used to make recipes like this one all the time. when I was growing up. They taste great but these days I flinch at the amount of fat per serving so I always try to figure out how to adapt for less overall fat content. I wonder if low fat sour cream or Greek yogurt could be substituted for the mayo or at least part of it? I hate fat free mayo so that is not an option. As for those chips, those have to stay and Cape Cad Chips makes a really good reduced fat product.
Thanks Joy…I am looking forward to your eventual return to sweet stuff. Your creativity and recipes are great.
i used a light mayo… but i bet sour cream might work too!
a cream of mushroom soup?
what is that?
i don’t think it exists in israel…
can i replace it with something else that would work as well?
thanks,
keren
i think any sort of thick, creamy canned soup would be great.
Instead of potato chips, try the Durkee’s Fried Onions. MMMmmm. I love a good casserole – makes me think of winter, and warm, comforting foods. And Mom.
fried onions. yes!
Covered in potato chips? SOLD! Where do I sign up?
The almonds on top just MAKE this. I often make a casserole like it for dinner, but never with almonds. Yum.
This dish reminds me of the recipes of yesteryear that I cook from time to time. The are very old fashioned and made with lots of nurture and love. That’s why they taste so good. The ingredients in your family’s recipe makes me think of my old Mickey Mouse Cookbook’s recipe for tuna moodle casserole. At first you think may think yuck, but, when I make it, it’s total comfort and yummy. The magic of mayo and a can of cream of mushroom soup!
Sounds wonderful, my Mom always put crushed potato chips on top of the once a month Tuna Noodle Casserole.
So often, I see recipes that call for store-bought rotisserie chicken, and I feel distraught. The rest of the civilized world must have access to better quality birds because I know darn well that what we have locally is Not Very Good. Do you have any specific recommendations on where to buy a better rotisserie chicken? Because I would really like to try this recipe, but would hate to ruin it with the chicken I have access to!
Do you have Costco? They have amazing rotisserie chickens. Also Safeway (Vons) has good ones too. Where do you live?
this is a whole foods chicken. so yummy.
I agree – what can we use to substitute? I’m currently in France & the rotisserie chickens here are, well, a bit anorexic looking – just not so meaty. It’s a hit or miss….usually a miss. Maybe some poached chicken?
you could get raw chicken breasts and cook them up with a little lemon, salt and pepper… and then cube or shred it for the recipe.
Do you know about how much chicken it would be? I have home-canned chicken breasts that I’ve been looking for recipes to use but I don’t know how many pints of chicken breast would make up a whole chicken. When I buy a rotisserie chicken that’s what we have for dinner. I’ve never just stripped all the meat off to use in a recipe.
I’m not sure, but three heaping cups of chicken would be great in that casserole.
You can get rotissiere chicken @ Walmart’s deli and I think Kroger has them in their deli also. Good luck.
I love this recipe! My grandma makes it frequently and the potato chips on top are classic. Thank you for the recipe and keep up the savory treats!
I must admit that it is weird to me. Me, with the squid and the pork ears and everything but it looks divine!!!
It’s amazing how something like chicken and rice is so universal. Every culture seems to have its own delicious version. Savory recipes sound darned good right now!
This looks delish!! I love, love, LOVE the green casserole dish :D
i love it too. i got it here: http://www.chefscatalog.com/product/26638-chantal-talavera-bake-set.aspx
Joy, My Mother made a Chicken Casserole, she used Pepperidge Farm
Bread crumbs, RIce and Chicken, no one has her recipe and she passed away, she didn’t write her recipes out, Can you help us? The Three Sisters,
Thank You very Much. Gay
Mmm, COMFORT FOOD… you can never go wrong with this stuff. =)
Your celery flower is so beautiful!
I wish we could get decent celery in my part of the world.
Since I ate for breakfast what’s left of the chocolate pie I made for my sister’s going away party yesterday (can’t say no to sweet baked goods, that’s me) I’m all for savory dishes now.
you go girl!
Haha, I’m glad I’m not the only one sick of all the savoury. More sweets, Joy!!
I’ve never had potato chips on a casserole, but I think this could be a winner.
i’m not ready for sweets yet. i’m just not.
Sounds Great! Will have to have hubby pick up a chciken and give it a whirl!