Chicken Casserole D'iberville

This recipe, from Charlotte Skelton's book Absolutely a la Carte, is named after a community north of Biloxi.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 10 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 2 (3 lb)  whole chickens
• 1  cup water
• 1  cup dry sherry
• 2  celery ribs
• 1  onion, quartered
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 2 (6 ounce) packages  long-grain and wild rice mix
• 1⁄2 cup butter or 1⁄2 cup margarine
• 2 (8 ounce) packages  sliced mushrooms
• 1  bunch green onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 (8 ounce) carton sour cream
• 1 (10 3/4ounce) can  cream of mushroom soup
• 1 1⁄2 cups  round  buttery crackers, crushed (1 sleeve = about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 (6 ounce) can  French-fried onions, crushed
• 1⁄4 cup butter or 1⁄4 cup margarine, melted
• 1⁄4 teaspoon paprika
• 1⁄8 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

1. Bring first 9 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven; reduce heat, cover, and simmer 1 hour or until chicken is done. Remove chicken, reserving broth in Dutch oven. Let chicken cool. Pour broth through a fine wire mesh strainer into an 8-cup liquid measuring cup; discard solids.
2. Cook rice according to package directions, substituting 4 1/4 cups reserved chicken broth for water and omitting butter. (Add water to broth to equal 4 1/4 cups, if necessary.).
3. Skin, bone, and coarsely chop or shred chicken.
4. Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; add mushrooms and green onions, and sauté 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in rice, chicken, sour cream, and soup. Spoon mixture into 8 (2-cup) casserole dishes, 8 (5 1/2- x 3 1/2- x 2-inch) mini-loaf pans, 3 (8-inch or 9-inch) square baking dishes, or 1 (4-quart or 15- x 10-inch) casserole dish.
5. Stir together crushed crackers and fried onions. Stir in 1/4 cup melted butter, paprika, and garlic powder. Sprinkle casserole evenly with cracker mixture.
6. Bake, covered, at 350° for 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 to 10 more minutes or until bubbly.
7. To make ahead: Cover casseroles tightly with foil, and freeze unbaked up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Bake as directed. (Casserole may also be baked frozen. Plan to double the baking times.).