Chicken Casserole: Grandma made the best chicken casserole in the world, to me. She went into a nursing home after suffering a broken hip. That was bad, but what made it even worse was that her house burned down before she was ever scheduled to return to her home. She never knew. She passed away in the nursing home never knowing that all her treasures had been lost. Those treasures would have included her recipe for chicken rice casserole that I remembered having all the times I spent the night at her house. I’ve experimented over and over and the recipe below is the closest I have been able to come. I hope you enjoy it.
Grandma’s Orange Chicken Casserole
4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
1 cup Uncle Ben’s long-cook (not instant) rice (raw – not cooked)
1 cup orange juice
1 can condensed Campbell’s Chicken with Rice Soup (mixed with 1 can water)
Pound chicken breasts to flatten them. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Brown chicken breasts in a little oil, searing them to make them darker in color. It’s OK if they are not done inside because you are going to be putting them in the oven. Place the uncooked rice in a baking dish and pour the orange juice over the rice. Place the browned chicken breasts on top of the rice. Pour the Chicken with Rice soup over everything. Cover. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover the dish and then cook an additional 10 minutes to brown everything.