Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day! Hope your day is filled with delicious baked goods!

Creamy Herb Chicken Casserole

Oh casserole.. I know in past decades the casserole has taken on a less than refined reputation. My parents' generation associates casserole with condensed cream of mushroom of soup and canned peas. While this may have been true in the past, I believe that the casserole can be delicious when done right. This recipe is inspired by mother's tuna fish casserole recipe, a childhood (and adult) favorite of mine. Growing up, my sister and I requested tuna fish casserole so much that my mom grew tired of cooking it and eventually quit making it (for the original tuna casserole recipe, go to "Read More"). Despite my mother's fatigue with this recipe, it gave me a deep appreciation for casseroles and their potential for deliciousness.

The base for this sauce was originally very similar to a french béchamel, which provides the richness and refinement of flavor over past casseroles. However, to make the recipe lighter and to give a nice chicken flavor, I've replaced much of the liquid with low-sodium chicken broth. I think this technically makes it not a béchamel, but it's still pretty tasty.


Creamy Herb Chicken Casserole Recipe

1 lb. small shape pasta (I like to use multigrain pasta such as Barilla Plus)
Large pot of salted water
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small bite-sized chunks
1 small onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic minced or crushed
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. rosemary (however any savory herb such as thyme or sage would be great)
1/2 tsp. mustard powder
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground pepper
2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock
3 tbsp. half and half
1 cup shredded cheese, a mild white cheese such as Monterey Jack
crushed crackers or bread crumbs (If using bread crumbs, give them a quick spritz with cooking spray so they brown up nice in the oven)

Begin heating a large pot of water to boil for pasta. Cook the pasta to al dente. Heat oven to 350 and spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat about 1 tsp. of oil in a skillet and cook the chicken until no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes. Set chicken aside.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, sauté the onions and celery in the oil until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for approximately 15 seconds. Turn off the heat and stir in the flour, rosemary, mustard powder, salt, and pepper. Turn the heat back to medium high and slowly stir in the chicken stock in small increments, especially at the beginning, so that the mixture first forms a thick paste and then a thickened liquid. Once all the chicken stock has been added, add the half and half then continue stirring until the sauce reaches a low boil. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese and chicken.

Add the sauce to the cooked pasta and put the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the bread crumbs or crushed crackers on top and bake for approximately 20 minutes until the casserole is bubbling.

Serve with green veggies such as peas or broccoli.

Chicken Chili

I love one pot meals. When you can get everything you need to eat in one pot that can ladled into large bowls, we are very happy. My husband's only complaint is that "our bowls aren't big enough." I would like to make everyone aware that our bowls have the word "oversized" in its Crate and Barrel description. One pot meals usually also allow me to use one of my two favorite kitchen items, either my red enameled Lodge dutch oven or the slow cooker. I will not be using the slow cooker for this meal, but I will certainly share some great crock pot meals later.

This chicken chili has the flavors of your traditional chili, but uses lean chicken breasts for a lighter stew and beans and hominy for heartiness. I also like to use different colored bell peppers for the sweetness they provide and they look pretty.

Be aware that this recipe makes A LOT. Halving some of the ingredients such as the beans, tomatoes, chicken stock, and using only 1 pepper will make a more reasonable quantity for those of you who aren't feeding armies or really hungry husbands.

Chicken Chili Recipe

2 tbsp. vegetable oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1/8 -1/4 tsp. (depending on your heat preference) cayenne pepper
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes (I usually use petite diced, but it's your choice)
1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can hominy
2 cups low sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper

Chop and prep all vegetables first so that you're ready to go once you start cooking.

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat just 1 tbsp. oil in large dutch oven or stock pot depending what you have on hand. Place chicken breasts in pot and cook for about 5 minutes on each side until nice and golden on the outside and is no longer pink in the middle. Take the chicken out and place on a clean plate or cutting board and set aside. Once cool enough to handle either cut chicken into bite-sized chunks or shred with 2 forks. Set chicken aside.

Add remaining tbsp. of oil to pot and add chopped onions, bell peppers, and 1/2 tsp. salt and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and spices and cook for about 30 seconds more.

Add the crushed and the diced tomatoes with juices and stir, making sure to scrape bottom of pot. Add the beans, hominy, chicken stock and chicken and simmer chili on low for about 40 minutes. Be sure to taste chili and add salt and pepper as needed.

Turn off heat and add cilantro. Serve in large bowls. If you are someone who likes to put a dollop of sour cream on their chili, try a dollop of Greek or plain yogurt. If you like a sprinkle of cheese, pick a low-fat cheese that was made with 2% milk.