Aunt Nancy's Chicken and Rice Casserole

When I was a child, my parents would often take my brother, sister and I to our Uncle Fred and Aunt Nancy's house to spend time with them and our cousins Denise and Joel. We all cherished those times as we were pretty close in age and always had a lot of fun.

Nine times out of ten, our Aunt Nancy would make her famous Chicken and Rice Casserole. Her recipe was very easy: A whole chicken cut into pieces (8 − 10), 1 cup of long-grain rice, a small can of sliced mushrooms, two cups of water, one can of Golden Mushroom Soup, water, and one package of onion soup mix.

Over the years, Kerry and I have made this recipe and is one of our staples - quick to prepare, slow to cook, always delicious and it brings back great memories. Of course, as An Eclectic Chef, I have modified it over the years. This version, dedicated to my Aunt Nancy, is her original recipe with a few modifications. I hope it will be a staple in your home soon.

Ingredients

8 pieces of chicken with the skin on (we love chicken thighs)
2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 medium-sized shallot
8 ounces of sliced mushrooms
1 cup of long-grain rice
1 pack of onion soup mix
1 can of Golden Mushroom Soup
½ cup of white wine
1 ½ cups of water
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

As always, gather your ingredients together (mise en place).

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat in dutch oven.

Lightly salt and pepper the chicken pieces.

Place the chicken in the pan (skin down) and sear the skin until browned (about 2 − 3 minutes). While doing this, salt and pepper the other side of the chicken.

Turn over the chick and cook the other side another 2 − 3 minutes.

With 8 pieces of chicken, you'll need to do this in 2 batches. Remove the chicken to a plate.

Reduce the heat on the stovetop to medium.

While the chicken is searing, remove the skin from the shallots.

Cut horizontal and vertical slices through the shallot (about ⅛ inches).

Then take your sharp chef knife and cut the shallot crosswise to make small dices.

Place the mushrooms and minced shallots in the Dutch Oven and stir for 2 − 3 minutes until the shallots are softened.

Add the rice and stir another 2 − 3 minutes to toast the rice.

Once the rice is toasted, add the wine to the pot. Stir to deglaze.

Add the water, soup and ½ of the package of onion soup mix to the pot and stir to combine.

Bring to a boil and add the browned chicken.

Cover the chicken with the remainder of the onion soup mix.

Cover and bake in the oven for 2 hours. Remove and let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with your favorite steamed vegetable.