Club Chicken Casserole

There is a reason this recipe is a buffet classic.  It’s simply good, and has ingredients most people like.  This dish is interesting because of what it doesn’t have – no cream soup and no cheese.  We like the sauce livened up a little with some sherry and some white Worcestershire sauce (last time I purchased this they had changed the name to Lea & Perrin’s Chicken Marinade).  This can be gluten-free by making the sauce with cornstarch.  I sometimes make this with home-canned chicken and use the broth from the chicken too.  I think ham or shrimp could be used instead of chicken.

The recipe in "Better Homes and Garden 1968 New Cookbook” makes twice this amount – the idea is to make 2 casseroles, so the buffet can be easily replenished with a new dish.  You use whatever casserole fits in your buffet server – either a 2 quart round one or a 13 x 9” glass baking dish.  Think Easter, graduations, showers, etc.  I am giving just a one-casserole size recipe here.  

                          Club Chicken Casserole

     1/4     Cup  Butter

     1/4     Cup  Flour, All-purpose

  12          Ounces  Evaporated Milk or half and half

  1            Cup  Chicken Broth

     1/3     Cup  Water (I use more broth or mushroom liquid)

  2            tablespoons  sherry (optional)

  1 1/2     teaspoons  White Worcestershire sauce (optional)

  3            Cups  Rice -- cooked

  2 1/2     Cups  Chicken -- cooked, diced

  3            Ounces  Canned Mushrooms -- drained

     1/3     Cup  Green Pepper -- chopped

     1/4     Cup  Pimiento -- canned, drained

  1 1/2     Teaspoons  Salt (don't use if using purchased broth or Worcestershire)

Cook rice.   Set aside. (About 1 cup raw converted or instant long grain brown rice gives 3 cups cooked).

Melt butter; blend in flour (cook 1 minute over medium heat). (Remove from heat.)  Add milk, broth and water; cook quickly, stirring constantly, till mixture thickens and bubbles. 

Add cooked rice, chicken, mushrooms, green pepper and pimiento and salt.

Pour into a greased 2 quart casserole.   Bake uncovered at 350° for 40 minutes until heated through.  (I stirred this half way through). If desired, top with 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds before serving. 

8 Servings

2011 Cost:  $4.38 or 55¢ per serving.

Per Serving: 515 Calories; 19g Fat (33.2% calories from fat); 19g Protein; 65g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 79mg Cholesterol; 702mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 4 Grain (Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 2 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.