Chicken for Sunday Dinner

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Chicken for Sunday Dinner

Source: Farm Journal's Timesaving Country Cookbook (1961) "Divide the work between Saturday and Sunday.  It's easier that way"

Revised: Busy Woman's Cookbook by the Food Editors of Farm Journal (1971)
 
Chicken for Sunday Dinner
"What to do on Saturday: Cook chicken.  You will cut cooking time in half by using a pressure cooker.  Electric ones are handy.  Assemble casserole of chicken (recipe follows), cover and refrigerate it."
 
Pressure-cooked Chicken  Disjoint and cut up a 5 1/2  pound (dressed weight) stewing fowl.  Place in pressure pan.  Add 2 cups water, 4 teaspoons salt, 1 small onion, quartered, 1 small carrot, quartered, 3 celery tops, 1 whole clove and 2 peppercorns.  Place lid on pressure pan and secure.  Cook at 10 pounds pressure, 40 to 50 minutes.  Reduce pressure and remove cover as manufacturer of pressure pan recommends. Remove chicken, strain broth, cool; remove meat from bones in large pieces.  If meat and broth will not be used immediately, cover and refrigerate at once.  If you have no pressure pan, simmer chicken until thickest pieces are fork-tender in water to cover.  This takes 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours.  Use broth and meat in Chicken Noodle Casserole.
 
Chicken Noodle Casserole
"Country food at its best"
 
1 (8 ounce) package broad noodles
3 quarts boiling water
1 Tablespoon salt
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup chicken fat (or part butter or margarine)
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cold water
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen peas
4 to 5 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 (3 ounce) can chow mein noodles
2 cooked carrots (optional)
 
Cook broad noodles 5 minutes in boiling salted water.  Drain; cover with paper towel to prevent drying.
Heat broth; season with salt and pepper.  Blend fat, flour and cold water.  Add to broth, stirring.  Boil 2 to 3 minutes.
Pour boiling water over peas to separate them; drain.  Reserve 1/2 cup peas for garnish.
Arrange noodles, peas, chicken and gravy in layers in a 4 quart greased casserole for buffet service (or covered-dish supper) or in two 2 1/2 quart casseroles for easy passing at sit-down family meal.  Mound peas in center of casserole and cover.  Refrigerate overnight. 
On Sunday, bake casserole in moderate oven (375*F.) for 40 to 50 minutes or until bubbly hot (15 minutes less for casseroles not refrigerated).
Sprinkle band of chow mein noodles around rim of casserole.
Slice carrots on the slant to make flower petal garnish; arrange around peas on casserole.  Return to oven and bake 5 minutes.  Serve at once.  Makes 8 to 10 servings.