Chicken Artichoke Casserole

I believe if you're ever looking for a "comfort food," all you have to do is look through a local church-ladies cookbook.  In this case, the recipe came from a local cookbook written by a local social matriarch first published in January 1970.  It's a bit more up-scale than the local church cookbook as this woman came from one of the founding families of Chattanooga.  But even being over 40-years-old, this book has some really wonderful regional recipes.

This photo doesn't do this dish justice, but if you love mushrooms and artichokes as much as I do, I hope you'll try this recipe.  I substantially cut down the recipe.....I'll post it as I found it, but put the amounts I used in parenthesis which resulted in two nice servings.  Also, this recipe calls for chicken consumme.  Now I've seen beef consomme in the Campbell's Soup section of the grocery store, but have never seen chicken consomme.  I did look on-line for a recipe (which you could make separately making double the work), but it's basically a heartier version of a chicken stock.  I simply used a chicken broth and boiled it down a bit.  This recipe does not list how many servings it makes.

CHICKEN ARTICHOKE CASSEROLE

3 pound fryer, cut in pieces (I used 6 oz of tenderloins)
1/2 tsp paprika (I sprinkled some smoked paprika)
1/4 tsp pepper (to taste)
6 Tbsp butter (1 Tbsp)
1/4 pound mushrooms, cut in large pieces (about 8-10 baby bellas, quartered)
1 can artichoke hearts (3-4 artichoke bottoms, cubed)
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
2 Tbsp flour (3 tsp)
3/4 cup chicken consomme (1/4 cup chicken stock/broth)
3 Tbsp dry sherry (1 Tbsp)

Season the chicken pieces with S&P and paprika.  Brown in the butter and place in a large casserole dish.  Saute mushrooms in a bit more butter.  Sprinkle flour over the mushrooms and add consomme and sherry.  Arrange artichokes between chicken pieces, and pour the mushroom sherry sauce in.  Cover the casserole and bake at 375 for 40 minutes (30 for a smaller portion).

This can be made in the morning or even the day before serving.

Recipe Source:  Chattanooga Cookbook by Helen Exum (recipe submitted by Mrs. Rupert Colmore III)