Easy Cindy’s Chicken Casserole Recipe – Creamy Comfort Food Classic

 

 

Easy, creamy, and oh-so comforting — Cindy’s Chicken Casserole is the perfect recipe for busy weeknights or holiday leftovers. With simple ingredients and big flavor, it’s a dish your family will ask for again and again.

Who else grew up with casseroles at the heart of family meals? This tasty Chicken Casserole is a classic with tender pieces of cooked chicken (or turkey), a creamy sauce, and a crisp and golden topping that makes every bite irresistible.

 

 

My sister made this for Sunday dinner several weeks ago and I just had to get  the recipe from her so that I could recreate it at home. It was just THAT delicious! 

Creamy, hearty and filled with homestyle flavor.  My sister served hers simply with some steamed rice on the side. Every plate was licked clean. I served mine with some sweet potatoes, but a baked potato would also be very nice.

This really is delicious and a great way to use up leftovers!

 

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

TO MAKE

CINDY'S CHICKEN CASSEROLE

There is nothing too complicated about this dish.

• 2 large boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, poached until tender (see here)
• 1 broccoli crown, trimmed and broken into florets
• 1/2 head of cauliflower, broken into florets
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 can (10 1/4 oz/290g) tin of condensed garlic mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1/2 cup (120g) dairy sour cream
• 1/2 cup (120ml) milk
• seasoning to taste
• 1 cup (113g) grated white cheddar cheese

Topping:

• 1/2 cup (65g) grated white cheddar cheese
• a small handful of crispy fried onions (Salad onions/Durkee, Frenchs)

 

My chicken breasts were both about the size of my hand, about 3 to 4 ounces each. Boneless, skinless, poached as per the link, ahead of time. Cooled and then cut into 1-inch cubes.

I cut the carrot into halves lengthwise and then quarter, then crosswise into quarter moon chunks.

If you have an aversion to using tinned soup you can make a 2 cup sized white sauce, using 2 TBS butter, 2 TBS flour and 2 cups (480ml) milk. Season with salt, pepper, hot sauce, along with some onion and garlic powders to taste.

I used full fat sour cream and strong white cheddar cheese. I also use whole milk.

 

HOW TO MAKE

CINDY'S CHICKEN CASSEROLE

This is really very simple to put together.  You can poach the chicken the day before if you wish.

1. Poach your chicken and cut it into a bite sized dice. (Alternately you can use leftover cooked chicken or even turkey.) (You could also use cooked ham, or a combination of poultry and ham. Then it would be a type of Cordon Bleu Casserole.)
2. Prepare your vegetables. Blanch them in a pot of lightly salted water for 2 minutes. Drain very well. (You don't really want any of your veggies to be more than bite sized.)
3. Preheat your oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter a 1 liter/qt casserole dish very well.(I used a shallow 4 cup casserole dish, 9-inches square.)
4. Whisk the soup, cheese and sour cream together in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.(I did not use any salt as the soup was salty as well as the cheese.)
5. Combine your cube chicken, blanched vegetables with the soup mixture, mixing everything well together. Spread this mixture evenly in your buttered baking dish. (My sister layered the chicken and veggies on the bottom of the dish and poured the soup mixture over top.)
6. Sprinkle the cheese for the topping evenly over top along with the crispy fried onions.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for half an hour until everything is bubbling and the top is golden brown. Serve hot.

 

WHAT TO SERVE WITH

CINDY'S CHICKEN CASSEROLE

This is a casserole complete with protein and several kinds of vegetables. You needn't serve anything on the side if you wish, but I recommend serving it with some type of starch.  Crusty bread, or steamed rice.  Boiled, mashed or baked potatoes.  Mashed sweet potatoes.  Or some buttered noodles.  All would work very well.

My sister served it with rice. When I made mine at home I served it with some of that sweet potato casserole that I made the other day.  It worked very well.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 

WHAT IS CONDENSED SOUP?

Condensed soup is a type of soup that needs to be reconstituted with an equal amount of water or milk to be eaten as a soup. It is often used in casseroles as a simple, quick and easy sauce. There are many brands in North America. In the U.K. Batchelor's makes a version, or at least they did when I lived there.

 

DO I NEED TO USE CHICKEN OR TURKEY?

Not at all. Ham and pork also work very well in this casserole.

CAN I VARY THE VEGETABLES?

By all means use whatever vegetables that you enjoy. Do remember to poach them prior to use so that they are tender by the time the casserole has finished cooking.

CAN THIS BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME?

Absolutely. You can put this together up to 24 hours ahead of time. Simply assemble then cover with a piece of plastic cling film. Refrigerate.  Remove from the refrigerator about half an hour prior to baking as per the recipe. It may take slightly longer to bake from a chilled state.

HOW DO I STORE ANY LEFTOVERS?

Store covered in the refrigerator.  You can gently reheat in the microwave until they heated completely through to serve. This will keep for up to four days if you have poached your chicken fresh. I do not recommend keeping longer than two days if you are using leftover cooked chicken or meat.

CAN THIS BE FROZEN?

Yes you can freeze this either unbaked or baked. Simply wrap with some cling film and then a layer of foil. Label and date. It will keep for up to six months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as per the recipe.

 

A FEW OTHER WAYS 

TO USE COOKED CHICKEN OR TURKEY

THAT YOU MIGHT ENJOY

I have always loved creating new dishes using the leftovers from my kitchen. In fact I often enjoy the leftovers even more than the original meal! Here are a few recipes we love which use chicken or turkey.

CRISPY CHICKEN SALAD -  What you have here is a delicious mix of salad greens, topped with a mix of fruit and vegetables.  Spring and red onion.  Cucumber, carrot.  Radishes and sliced apple. Add to that, cubes of sharp cheddar cheese and sweet and tangy dried cranberries. Top it all off with scrumptious little bits of shredded chicken breast that have been coated in a spice mixture and fried until crispy golden brown. A final scattering of salted cashew nuts and a lush honey mustard dressing complete the picture.

AMISH CHICKEN & STUFFING CASSEROLE - This is one of my absolute all-time 

favorite chicken casseroles. Not only is is a great way to use up stale bread, but you can also use up leftover cooked chicken or even turkey, or you can cook chicken specifically just to use in it. Stale bread, butter softened celery and onion, a variety of herbs, seasoning and tender poached chicken mixed with a tiny bit of stock and baked to give you one very delicious and simple entree.   

 

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Yield: 4 Generous servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Cindy's Chicken Casserole

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 40 Min

This was a casserole my sister had made for Sunday dinner a few weeks back. It was so delicious that I had to get the recipe for myself and recreate it at home. This is simple to make and delicious.

Ingredients

• 2 large boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, poached until tender (see here)
• 1 broccoli crown, trimmed and broken into florets
• 1/2 head of cauliflower, broken into florets
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 can (10 1/4 oz/290g) tin of condensed garlic mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1/2 cup (120g) dairy sour cream
• 1/2 cup (120ml) milk
• seasoning to taste
• 1 cup (113g) grated white cheddar cheese

Topping:

• 1/2 cup (65g) grated white cheddar cheese
• a small handful of crispy fried onions (Salad onions/Durkee, Frenchs)

Instructions

1. Poach your chicken and cut it into a bite sized dice. (Alternately you can use leftover cooked chicken or even turkey.)
2. Prepare your vegetables. Blanch them in a pot of lightly salted water for 2 minutes. Drain very well.
3. Preheat your oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter a 1 liter/qt casserole dish very well.
4. Whisk the soup, milk, cheese and sour cream together in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Combine your cube chicken, blanched vegetables with the soup mixture, mixing everything well together. Spread this mixture evenly in your buttered baking dish.
6. Sprinkle the cheese for the topping evenly over top along with the crispy fried onions.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for half an hour until everything is bubbling and the top is golden brown. Serve hot.

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