Chicken that can go to a party

When it comes to preparing food for company, we tend to pull out all the stops to make the occasion a success. We strive to prepare and serve food that will be pleasing and will be long remembered that way. Whether we're preparing for a formal dinner or a simple, casual dinner with family or friends, it's well worth the extra effort to make the meal memorable.

I'm passing along the ingredients for a great company dish for "Party Chicken". This is a good dish that's fitting for a special occasion or even if you want to make something special for family or friends. This is a recipe that uses chicken breasts that are baked and then layered with rice that has been combined with some additional ingredients to create chicken that has a creamy sauce to accompany it.

This recipe can serve six to eight, according to the number you choose to prepare. Of course, you can easily prepare for eight and any leftovers would hold under refrigeration for lunch the following day, if you'd like (that is, if you have any leftover!) You'll see that the recipe calls for sherry. This can be found easily in the grocery store in the mixed drink section. The sherry adds a special flavor to this dish, so I certainly recommend it.

Notice too that the recipe calls for four to six cups of cooked rice. You can base this according to the number of people being served, as well as how you think your guest like rice! This calls for regular rice, but if you'd like to try using brown rice or even wild rice, that could work in this recipe, too.

To go with this dish, I would suggest a fruit recipe that would be a fine side dish. I shared one last year and here's the link that will take to you to it:

http://www.examiner.com/article/an-array-of-colorful-spiced-fruits

Regardless of the party, this is a way to dress it up for the occasion!

PARTY CHICKEN

• 1 stick butter
• 6 to 8 chicken breasts, skinned and boned
• salt, pepper and seasoned salt
• 1/4 cup sherry
• 4 to 6 cups cooked rice
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon parsley

Place the butter in a casserole dish, approximately 9x16 inches and set in oven preheated to 350 degrees to melt. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and seasoned salt. Roll the chicken in the melted butter and pour the sherry over all. Bake about 1 hour or until chicken tests done. Remove the chicken to a separate platter and pour the leftover butter from the casserole into a large bowl. Place the cooked rice in the bottom of the same dish. Combine the leftover butter with the remaining ingredients and pour half of the mixture over the rice. Place the cooked chicken on top and cover with the remaining mixture. Return dish to oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. Serves 6-8.