In all fairness, I don't remember exactly how mom did this because most of our chicken casseroles were pretty similar - boiled chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces, cream of something soup (usually chicken or mushroom), sometimes some sour cream or mayo, some kind of starch (noodles, stuffing mix, crackers, etc.) and sometimes some cheese. I think part of my resistance to chicken casseroles was a result of the fact that they all were pretty similar and it just got old.
So my version was a little different: I started with the basic chicken base from my crock pot chicken and dumplings. Then, because that covered the cooked chicken and cream of soup, I just needed some noodles and cheese. I cooked the noodles a little less than al dente because I knew they'd cook a bit more in the oven. I also broke them up a bit so they were closer to bite sized (next time I may use another shape pasta) I also mixed in a little bit of cream cheese to add to the creaminess. I topped it with a little bit of shredded cheddar cheese, but didn't mix in a ton of it. Then it all got tossed in a small casserole dish and baked at about 350 for 30 minutes.
The Verdict: Not bad! Next time I would probably add a little more cream cheese and perhaps a little sour cream. Jeff requested more cheddar cheese, too. Overall, this is a casserole I can get on board with.
I have a pie you'd like...
ReplyDeleteYou need to dice some chicken breast (1 breast per person) and cook with some chopped onion (half an onion per person).
Once it's cooked, add 500ml of chicken stock and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove the chicken and onion and put to one side, but save the stock. Season the stock as you wish (not too much salt!) and simmer the stock until it's reduced by two-thirds (will take about 10 minutes).
In the meantime, boil some leek in salted water (you don't have to do this if you don't like leek!). Drain and add to the chicken and onion on the side once it's cooked.
Going back to the stock, once it's reduced, add 200ml of double cream and simmer until thickened. Then stir in the chicken, leek and onion.
Pour it all into a deep pie dish, and cover with a think layer of pastry (puff pastry or shortcrust - pre-made or you can make your own). Egg wash and then bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown.
Delicious!