Lancaster County Creamy Chicken, Corn, & Rice Bake
Prep time: 15 minutes | Bake time: 45 minutes | Serves: 6-8
While many think of noodles when they think of Amish cuisine, rice has become a staple in Pennsylvania Dutch community cookbooks over the last century. This “One-Dish” meal is typical of an Amish wedding or barn-raising: it’s inexpensive, filling, mild in spice but rich in flavor, and can easily be doubled to feed a crowd.
The secret to the “authentic” taste is the combination of cream style corn (for sweetness and binding) and whole kernel corn (for texture), along with a generous amount of butter.
Ingredients
The Base:
- 3 cups cooked white rice (day-old rice works best)
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced (rotisserie works well)
- 1 (14 oz) can cream-style corn
- 1 (14 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 cup sour cream (full fat)
- ½ cup milk
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 cups mild cheddar cheese, shredded (divide into 1 ½ cups for mix, ½ cup for topping)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried parsley
The “Crunch” Topping:
- 1 ½ cups butter crackers (like Ritz), coarsely crushed
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease a 9×13 inch casserole dish generously with butter.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the beaten eggs, sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, and dried parsley until smooth.
- Combine the Filling:
- Stir in the cream-style corn, drained whole kernel corn, diced onion, and 1 ½ cups of the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Gently fold in the cooked rice and shredded chicken until everything is evenly coated in the creamy mixture.
- Assemble:
- Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish and spread it into an even layer.
- Top with the remaining ½ cup of cheddar cheese.
- The Buttery Crunch:
- In a small bowl, toss the crushed crackers with the melted butter until they look like wet sand.
- Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the top of the casserole.
- Bake:
- Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly around the edges and the topping is golden brown.
- Let stand for 10 minutes before serving to allow the filling to set.
