Chicken Casserole D'Iberville

• 2 (3 lb) whole chickens
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup dry sherry
• 2 celery ribs
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 2 (6 ounce) packages long-grain and wild rice mix
• 1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine
• 2 (8 ounce) packages sliced mushrooms
• 1 bunch green onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 (8 ounce) carton sour cream
• 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 1/2 cups round buttery crackers, crushed (1 sleeve = about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 (6 ounce) can French-fried onions, crushed
• 1/4 cup butter or 1/4 cup margarine, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Bring first 9 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven; reduce heat, cover, and simmer 1 hour or until chicken is done. Remove chicken, reserving broth in Dutch oven. Let chicken cool. Pour broth through a fine wire mesh strainer into an 8-cup liquid measuring cup; discard solids.
2. Cook rice according to package directions, substituting 4 1/4 cups reserved chicken broth for water and omitting butter. (Add water to broth to equal 4 1/4 cups, if necessary.).
3. Skin, bone, and coarsely chop or shred chicken.
4. Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; add mushrooms and green onions, and saute 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in rice, chicken, sour cream, and soup. Spoon mixture into 8 (2-cup) casserole dishes, 8 (5 1/2- x 3 1/2- x 2-inch) mini-loaf pans, 3 (8-inch or 9-inch) square baking dishes, or 1 (4-quart or 15- x 10-inch) casserole dish.
5. Stir together crushed crackers and fried onions. Stir in 1/4 cup melted butter, paprika, and garlic powder. Sprinkle casserole evenly with cracker mixture.
6. Bake, covered, at 350u0b0 for 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 to 10 more minutes or until bubbly.
7. To make ahead: Cover casseroles tightly with foil, and freeze unbaked up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Bake as directed. (Casserole may also be baked frozen. Plan to double the baking times.).

whole chickens, water, sherry, celery, onion, salt, curry powder, ground pepper, poultry seasoning, longgrain, butter, mushrooms, green onion, sour cream, cream of mushroom soup, buttery crackers, onions, butter, paprika, garlic

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/chicken-casserole-diberville-435368 (may not work)