Charlie Chicken

GypsyWinds's Note:

One of the constant recipes in our house. A very elegant presentation with very little effort. Charlie was a dear friend, and a great cook. I was 13 yrs old the first time I made this, and now @ 30+none-of-your-business, this dish is made at least once a month in my house. Everytime this dish is requested, cooked & tasted, the memories of Charlie fill my house and my heart, bringing him close again. ********* Please note - I no longer use a cut-up fryer as I did in the original recipe. My family is a breast group, with the occasional thigh & legs if Grandkids are coming over...

• Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 6 chicken breast halves
• 1 (3 ounce) box Lipton Onion Soup Mix (2 packets)
• 3/4 cup water
• nonstick cooking spray (Pam, Crisco etc.)
• 2 (6 ounce) boxes brown and wild rice mix (Uncle Bens Brown & Wild Rice Mushroom Recipe)
• 4 1/4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup parsley

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°.
2. Using a Non-Stick Spray of your choice, coat a 9x13 casserole dish (a LIGHT rub of vegetable oil will work just as well).
3. Place chicken breasts in dish, barely touching each other- Skin side UP.
4. Pour in 3/4 cup water, allowing it to go around each piece of chicken.
5. Open 2 packets of Lipton Onion Soup & Dip Mix, and sprinkle all over chicken, using the entire packages.
6. Cover & seal casserole COMPLETELY with aluminum foil.
7. Bake at 350° for 60 min or until chicken is tender and completely cooked, (180°when checked with thermometer){See Notes below}.
8. Uncle Bens Brown & Wild Rice Mushroom Directions:.
9. Using Medium saucepan combine rice, contents of seasoning packet, 4 1/4 cups water and 2 tablespoons butter or margarine.
10. Stir well.
11. Bring contents to a boil, REDUCE HEAT (low to medium low) and simmer covered 25 minutes or until water is absorbed.
12. Place chicken on a bed of the Uncle Ben's rice, making sure to get plenty of the sauce that is around the chicken.
13. Sprinkle with fresh chopped Parsley.
14. Enjoy!
15. ***NOTE***.
16. This recipe was originally cooked in an electric skillet at 375° for 1 1/2 hours, with steam vent closed, and NO added water.
17. It always came out moist w/ a fine gravy/sauce. I lost my electric skillet in a house fire, being on SS I never have the $ to get another I liked, so I changed the recipe for the oven. The difference in heat source I guess makes the need for added moisture.
18. Adding the small amount of water makes a gravy/sauce that is super when served as suggested.
19. There are many choices of Uncle Ben's Rice Recipes, choose the one you prefer. I like to add extra mushrooms, or other special touches such as parsley, and sometimes I just use a standard rice pilaf, with tiny chips of veggies.
20. We never make any other side dishes, this is more than satisfying.
21. Do not fuss over finger licking as people continue to pick every bite off the bones.

Reviews

[FloridaNative]

This was an awesome meal - I used boneless thighs and breasts as our tastes vary in the family, and pounded them down to the same thickness overall. I did sprinkle some additional parsley over the chicken before baking. Bake time was about 50 minutes in convection oven. I served the chicken and gravy over a wild rice seasoned with some spices - very very good, especially with the gravy. Charlie would be proud. Thanks for posting - made for Spring PAC 2012.

[Sydney Mike]

With 2 of us here, I cut this recipe in half & that worked out just fine! Even followed it right on down, & thought the onion soup mix & the listed herbs gave it all the flavor it needed! Very, very nice! Many thanks for sharing the recipe with us! [Made & reviewed for the closing of Pick A Chef event]

[JPsBarbie]

This chicken was amazing! My husband, one of the toughest food critics, actually said it was good! The ingredients (onion soup mix, water, and chicken) are a staple in my kitchen so this will be one of my go to recipes from now on. The only changes I made were to add a dash or two of pepper and to serve it over noodles instead of the rice.