Grandma Holmes's Chicken Casserole

Aunt Paula has a booklet of Grandma Holmes's recipes. It appears to me that many of the recipes may have come from friends or newspapers. And, most telling of Grandma's sweet tooth, many of the recipes are for cakes or pies. But, due to my annual 40-day renunciation of sweets, I had to skip past all the delicious-looking cakes and pies, for now. So, I decided to give this simple casserole a try. The addition of sage makes this casserole reminiscent of of Mom's stuffing.

This casserole, like many casseroles, used some staples that you might have in your kitchen. I used leftover rotisserie chicken for the chicken in this casserole, but any type of chicken would do. The recipe calls for pouring hot mushroom or celery soup over the casserole after baking. I assume Grandma just used a can of condensed soup. But, I skipped that step and found the casserole was tasty without the soup topping. It was very easy to make, but with a baking time of one hour, it might be a bit difficult to make on a weeknight. This casserole could make an easy pot luck dish.

Chicken Casserole

• 1-3 1/2 pounds chicken, cooked
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp. sage
• salt, to taste
• 3 1/3 cups chicken broth (or milk)
• 2 cups bread crumbs
• Mushroom or celery soup

In a bowl, mix together the chicken, rice, beaten eggs, sage, and salt. Add in broth (or, as Grandma's recipes say, add in milk to equal 3 1/2 cups of liquid.)

Pour into a pan. I used a 9X9 pan, but a 13X9 could also work. Top with bread crumbs. Bake at 325 for one hour. 

If desired, pour hot mushroom or celery soup over the casserole before serving. Enjoy!