Chicken-Rice Orange

Photo: flickr user guy schmidt

Ingredients

cup shortening

cup butter or margarine

cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon paprika

teaspoon pepper

2 broiler or fryer chickens cut up 2 1/2 to 3 pounds each

2 cups orange juice

cup dry sherry or apple juice

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 lrg onion thinly sliced

cup green bell pepper chopped

1 6 ounce can sliced mushrooms drained

cup boiling water

1 cup white rice uncooked

cup orange juice

teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon salt

Preparation

* To be made later when serving the meal

Heat oven to 425 F. In oven, melt shortening and butter in 2 standard or foil baking pans, 13x9x2 inches. Mix flour, 1 teaspoons salt, the paprika and pepper. Coat chicken with flour mixture. Place 1 chicken in each baking pan; turn to coat with shortening. Turn skin side up. Bake uncovered 30 minutes.

Mix sauce ingredients in saucepan. Heat until mixture boils; remove from heat and set aside.

For topping, sprinkle half the onion, the green pepper and mushrooms on each chicken. Pour half the orange sauce on each chicken. Bake uncovered until done, about 30 minutes. Cool quickly. Wrap, label and freeze.

To Serve - 45 minutes before serving, remove 1 pan Chicken-Rice Orange from freezer and unwrap.

Heat the chicken uncovered in 375 F oven until hot, about 40 minutes.

Prepare the orange rice by mixing the ingredients thoroughly in ungreased 1 or 1 1/2 quart casserole or in baking dish 10x6x2. Cover tightly; bake at 350 F until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

My Mom always had one of these in the freezer for my birthday. I recently found her old cookbooks and have had fun reliving the past. When I make this for my family, I will omit the bell pepper.

NOTES : Store no longer than 3 months