- 1/4 cup margarine (1/2 a stick)
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup strong chicken broth (make
with 2 bouillon cubes)
- 1-1/2 cups milk
- 2 cups cooked rice (leftovers are
great)
- 2 cups cooked, cubed chicken or
turkey
- 4 oz can mushrooms, drained
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 oz jar pimiento (optional)
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds (optional)
First you need to make a white sauce. Use a
3-quart saucepan to make it because you will
use the sauce pan to combine all of the
ingredients later. So, melt the margarine in
the saucepan over medium heat. When it is
melted, stir in the flour. Whisk it until it
is smooth and bubbly. Gradually add the
chicken broth and the milk. I use real
chicken broth if I have it, other wise I
just add a cup of water, and a couple of
bouillon cubes. Stir this as you cook it
over medium heat. A whisk works really good
for preventing any lumps. When the sauce is
thick and boiling, allow it to boil for a
full minute. Remove it from the heat. Add
the rice, chicken, mushrooms, peas and
pimiento, if you are using it. Stir it all
up really good. Turn the mixture into a well
oiled 2-1/2 quart casserole. Sprinkle the
almonds or other nuts on top. Bake at 350°
for about 40 minutes. It should be hot and
bubbly throughout. If desired, sprinkle with
chopped parsley, fresh or dried, right
before serving. Makes about 6 servings.
This is a company casserole. It is so good
that I save it for special days. Perfect in
the spring for mother's day, or around
Easter time. It is good at church pot lucks
too. I do not often add pimento to the dish,
but the one time I did it sure did look
pretty. Often pimento can be bought in 8 oz
jars for about $1.25. If you buy one that
large, use half of it in this recipe. The
other half can go into another casserole, or
into gelatin salads, or even scrambled eggs.
The 2 oz jars cost as much as the 8 oz jars,
so you might as well get your money's worth.
The almonds or nuts could be replaced with
cracker crumbs and small dots of margarine,
if you wanted something crunchy on top,
without the cost of nuts.
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