Chicken Casserole

Author

Cathy

Preheat oven to $35 0^{\circ} F$ ( $17 5^{\circ} C$ ). Choose a casserole dish large enough to hold the ingredients (e.g., 9x13 inch).
Ensure chicken breasts are boneless. Set aside.
Spread the 1 cup of raw rice evenly in the bottom of the casserole dish.
Drizzle the 1 Tbsp of melted butter over the rice and stir briefly to coat.
In a small bowl, combine half of the can of Cream of Mushroom soup, half of the can of Cream of Celery soup, and half of the can of Cream of Chicken soup. Mix lightly and pour this half-mixture evenly over the rice layer.
Arrange the chicken breasts in a single layer on top of the rice and soup mixture.
In the same small bowl (or a new one), combine the remaining half of each of the three soups. Stir in the $\frac{1}{2}$ cup of sherry (or vermouth) until well mixed.
Pour this sherry-soup mixture evenly over the chicken breasts.
Sprinkle the top generously with grated cheddar cheese and sliced almonds, covering the chicken and soup mixture.
Cover the casserole dish tightly with a lid or heavy-duty aluminum foil.
Bake in the preheated oven for $1 \frac{1}{2}$ hours (90 minutes).
After $1 \frac{1}{2}$ hours, carefully remove the lid or foil.
Return the casserole dish to the oven and continue baking uncovered for an additional $\frac{1}{2}$ hour (30 minutes). (Total bake time is 2 hours). The rice should be cooked, the chicken tender, and the topping golden brown.
Let the casserole rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.