JC's Chicken Comfort Casserole

Serves 6-8 people. 4 if they are really hungry or 2 NFL linebackers.

WARNING: This is southern comfort food and makes no claims on being good for you.
It just taste good. :)

Ingredients

3-4 cups cooked long grain white rice
3 cups chicken broth

1/4 Olive oil
1 Large Onion (diced)
2-3 tbls garlic (minced)
Kosher salt
1-2 tsp black pepper (ground)
1 - 2 tsp paprika
1/4 - 1/2 cup cooking wine

2 pounds chicken (boneless skinless)

1 - 1 1/2 pound sharp cheddar cheese (finely shredded)
1/2 - 1 pound Montery jack cheese (finely shredded)
2 cans cream of mushroom w/ garlic (condensed)
1 cup sour cream

Panko bread crumbs

Large casserole baking dish ( approx. 9 x 13 x2)

Very large mixing bowl (needs to be capable of holding all ingredients with space to mix)

Non-stick spray

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Before you shop: The things that have a range listed are meant to allow easy variation to suit your tastes and are within the norm of how I make mine.

Rice - Use Arborio for a creamier texture or Basamanti for a little more toothsome rice. This is an easy place to experiment just remember the final quantity of cooked rice determines a large portion of the dish volume.

• Note: I use a rice cooker for my rice so the amount of chicken broth/stock you need will vary depending on your cooking method. (stove top, microwave etc)
  

Meat - I use thighs since they are cheap and flavorful but any chicken pieces will work. Heck any poultry (maybe even pork) could work. If you like livers I imagine a few chopped up chicken livers might work to add a different flare. If you like bacon add four slice of crispy bacon crumbled during last phase of mixing.

• What ever you use it needs to be fully cooked before adding since the cook temp and time may not be long enough to fully cook the meat.

Onion - I prefer the sweet Vidalia onions when I can get them but any will work. For a little bite you can leave them raw.

Spices - Those listed are what I use after a little trial and error. The skies the limit here, anything that you imagine goes well with chicken should work. If you want heat then some minced peppers can also be added or a little chili powder if you would like a southwestern flair.

Wine - I use cooking sherry but any will work. If you have your favorite white then add it here and then serve the remainder with the meal. It will create a nice tie in of flavors. If you are a beer person then try your favorite brew. I would avoid any strong beers (Guinness, etc) as they may over power the other flavors.

Cheese - Any cheese that has a moderate to low melting temperature will work. Keep in mind that the stronger the flavor the more it will dominate the dish. If you want to add a hard cheese (or non melting like caso fresco) just grate or crumble about 1/2 cup and blend in to final mixture before baking to add more punch.

• If you have kids that are finicky eaters but love mac-n-cheese use Velvetta in place of cheddar and jack. You will need to pre-melt the cheese to get it to blend. I haven’t tried this particular twist but it should work and will taste like mac-n-cheese but a little more healthy since you are getting them to eat a grain and protein.

Oil - If you want a little Asian flare use sesame oil vice olive oil.

Directions


1. Set oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit before starting.

   
   
2. Start the rice cooking. Substitute the chicken broth for water to cook. While the rice is cooking proceed with the remainder of preparation.

   
   
3. Place olive oil, diced onion and minced garlic in skillet over medium heat. Season with a large pinch (or 2) of kosher salt, black pepper, paprika. Move on to prep meat while this cooks down. The goal is to have a light browning on the onions but cook slower at first to allow them to sweat. This gives you time to continue your prep.

   
   
4. Cut chicken into roughly 1/2”-1” inch pieces. I remove about 90% of the fat from the thighs I use, leaving enough for a little flavor.

   
   
5. Increase temperature on skillet with the cooking onion & garlic to medium high. Add chicken and cooking wine. Cover skillet and allow chicken to cook until done. Stir occasionally.
   
   
6. In large mixing bowl combine condensed soup, 3/4 of both cheeses, sour cream, cooked rice, and 1/4 cup of chicken broth. Mix thoroughly.

   
   
7. Uncover chicken mixture and reduce liquid down till it just covers the bottom of skillet.

   
   
8. Combine chicken mixture into contents of mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.

   
   
9. Lightly coat casserole dish with non-stick spray then pour contents of mixing bowl into casserole dish. You want no less than 1/2” depth remaining between top of mixture and top of casserole edge to avoid spillage and room for topping.

   
   
10. Sprinkle remaining cheese over mixture to create a thin layer, then sprinkle enough Panko bread crumbs to barely cover.
    
    
11. Place casserole into 350 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes.

    
    
12. After cooking you can use broiler to add a little more browning to top if you like.

    
    
13. Remove from oven and serve.