What's for Suonday Supper

Sunday supper is an old tradition at my house. I started it when I was a single parent because I wanted my children to have the social experience, the conversation. Sometimes we had fifteen—usually my brother and his family, and then assorted friends, some regular, some occasional. John was a stickler for manners, which has served my children well, and he used to go around the table and have everyone tell about their week. Both the manners and the talk gave the kids a taste of the art of dining.

Sunday supper is a little different these days, but Jordan, Christian, and I usually make it happen—Jacob is often at church for supper but joins us when he gets home. Frequently I do the cooking, and I love the process of choosing the right dish. Often, it’s just an entrée and a salad.

This past week, I suggested a Mexican hamburger casserole that I’d found, but Jordan thought it sounded too heavy. She suggested a beef stew recipe, but a quick read told me they recommended cooking it thirty minutes or so—not to my mind enough time for stew. So I showed her several recipes, and she chose “No Peek Chicken.” I’ve been searching my mind, trying to remember who gave me that recipe. No success. But thank you to whoever it was.

No Peek Chicken

1 box long grain wild rice

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can water

Boneless chicken breasts or tenders.

In a greased 9x13 pan, mix the rice, the cans of soup, and the water. Arrange raw chicken over the rice. Cover and seal tightly with foil. Bake at 350^o for 2-1/2 hours, without peeking..

Wild rice needs that long cooking  time, but I thought the chicken was overcooked—a bit dry and tough. I had done this recipe before with the Uncle Ben’s Instant Long Grain Wild Rice, and I think that and a shortened cooking time might give you more moist chicken. But this time, the rice was delicious. I used a six-oz. box with the band name Near East.

And I must add that in this gourmet age, I am not at all shy about confessing I make casseroles with canned soups. Easy, fast, and delicious.

A 9x13 pan won’t fit in my toaster oven, so I sent this into the house to ake. But the last time I did it, I used a smaller dish that did fit. So don’t rule this out because of the pan size.

I’d been wanting to fix a Brussel sprouts/artichoke hearts dish that a friend served several years ago, and I decided it would make a good side with the chicken. Jordan, however, protested that she’s tried Brussel sprouts more than once and just doesn’t like them. I’m willing to go with people’s tastes as long as they have tried the dish. And I confess I’m not always wild about those sprouts either. So I decided to substitute a second can of artichoke hearts for the frozen sprouts. Christian doesn’t like artichoke hearts, but I didn’t think he’d like Brussel sprouts any better—he likes them, he said later, if they’re crisp. My Austin family likes them that way too.

Brussel sprouts and artichoke hearts au gratin

1 10-oz. pkg. frozen Brussel sprouts

1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, quartered and drained

½ cup mayonnaise

½ tsp. celery salt

¼ cup Parmesan, grated

¼ cup butter, melted

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

            Cook the Brussel sprouts according to directions. Drain. Layer sprouts and artichoke hearts in casserole dish. Combine remaining ingredients and spoon over the vegetables. Mix. Bake at 425^o for 8-10 minutes. Serves six.

Christian tried it and announced he could take the artichoke hearts or leave them, but the sauce was wonderful. I bet it would be equally wonderful on broccoli.