Curried chicken and artichoke casserole can be combined with herb rice, warm rolls and a spinach salad with strawberries and mushrooms. JONATHAN ERNST/STAFF

Curry heats up chicken casserole

Web posted March 24, 1999

Karin Calloway
Columnist

Looking for the perfect dish for a spring ladies luncheon or special family supper? Today's recipe for curried chicken and artichoke casserole fits the bill. It's the third and last installment in my series of recipes using cubed, cooked chicken.

The dish is very simple to prepare. It begins with the basic chicken casserole sauce mixture of cream of chicken soup and sour cream.

Add artichoke hearts to the chicken and curry powder, a little white wine and lemon juice to the sauce mixture, and you have something truly special. For the topping, add grated sharp Cheddar to crushed buttery crackers mixed with melted butter.

This is a nice make-ahead dish, and it is easily multiplied to serve large crowds. Every time I've served it, I've had requests for the recipe.

If you don't have a stash of cubed, cooked chicken, as suggested in the Feb. 17 column, simply poach some boneless, skinless chicken breasts in water with chunks of onion, carrot and celery for flavor. Cook the chicken for about 30 minutes, then remove from the liquid and cool before cubing or shredding.

Supermarkets carry cubed, cooked chicken breast meat in the freezer section, but it's expensive. It's a great substitute for home-cooked if time is more of a concern than spending a little extra cash.

Free-lance writer Karin Calloway can be reached at karingca@aol.com or write to her care of The Augusta Chronicle, a P.O. Box 1928, Augusta, GA 30913.FILE/STAFF

Serve the casserole with a salad of mixed greens, spring strawberries and mushrooms, along with herb rice and hot rolls. For dessert, set out a platter of store-bought petit fours or brownie and lemon squares baked from a mix.

On the side, serve mixed green or Romaine salad tossed with sliced fresh strawberries, mushrooms, green onion, toasted pecans and grated Monterey Jack cheese. Toss with a sweet and sour vinaigrette by combining: 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. This makes about 3/4 cup dressing, enough for a bag of salad greens or four servings.Serve some herb rice and yeast rolls on the side to complete your meal.