Recipes by Dick Cavett: Bread Pot Fondue; Southern Fried Chicken Casserole

Dick Cavett's Bread Pot Fondue

1 round firm loaf French bread
2 cups shredded sharp cheese
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups dairy sour cream
1 cup diced, cooked ham
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 (3 ounce) can whole mild or hot green chiles, drained and chopped
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Coat inside bread with garlic butter. Slice off top of bread and reserve top. Hollow out inside with paring knife, leaving 1/2-inch shell. Cut removed bread into 1-inch cubes. You should have about 5 cups. Reserve for toasting.

Combine Cheddar cheese, cream cheese and sour cream in bowl. Stir in ham, green onions, chilies and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon cheese filling into bread shell and replace top of bread. Tightly wrap loaf with several layers of heavy duty aluminum foil, set on cookie sheet. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and heated through.

Meanwhile, stir together bread cubes, oil and melted butter in a bowl. Arrange on cookie sheet. Bake, turning occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes or until brown. Remove and save for the fondue.

When bread is done, remove from oven and unwrap. Transfer to platter. Remove top of bread and stir filling before serving. Use toasted bread cubes or assorted vegetables or chips as dippers for the fondue.

Dick Cavett's Southern Fried Chicken Casserole

1 cleaned chicken weighing about 2 1/2 pounds
1/2 cup seasoned flour
Sweet butter, vegetable shortening

Split chicken into serving pieces. Coat well with seasoned flour by shaking in paper bag. Melt fat (use half butter, half vegetable shortening) to depth of one inch in heavy skillet. Heat fat until hot but not smoking. Put in chicken pieces; brown quickly on all sides turning with tongs being careful not to pierce the skin. Remove chicken to absorbent paper. Drain well before placing chicken in deep ovenproof casserole.

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped yellow onions
2 quinces (or 2 crab apples or tart green cooking apples mixed with 1 tsp. lemon juice)
2/3 cup snow peas
1/2 cup English walnuts, slightly broken
1/2 cup while raisins (or 2/3 cup stemmed white seedless grapes)
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/4 cup boiling water
3/4 cup dry white wine (or dry vermouth)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Melt butter in large skillet. Add onion, quince, snow peas, walnuts, and raisins. Cook about 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring. Dissolve chicken bouillon cubes in boiling water. Add this and wine to quince mixture. Heat to boiling. Season to taste. Pour over chicken in casserole. Cover, cook in preheated 350 degree oven about 1 hour. Serve with cooked fluffy rice. Serves 4.