Country Chicken Casserole
From Taste of Home's Simple & Delicious, April/May 2011 pg 38 This hearty entree offers a great way to use up leftover turkey or chicken. Whenever I make it, someone asks for the recipe. Best of all, you can fix it ahead to simplify mealtime.
From Taste of Home's Simple & Delicious, April/May 2011 pg 38 This hearty entree offers a great way to use up leftover turkey or chicken. Whenever I make it, someone asks for the recipe. Best of all, you can fix it ahead to simplify mealtime.
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cups cooked chicken cubed
- 16 ounces frozen corn thawed
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 6 ounces chicken flavored stuffing mix
- 1/2 pounds fresh mushrooms sliced
- 16 ounces frozen chopped broccoli thawed
- 1 cans (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper
- Carbohydrate 57.44812220447 g
- Cholesterol 77.647390625 mg
- Fat 38.844943164815 g
- Fiber 4.08235747397702 g
- Protein 24.6166741485225 g
- Saturated Fat 9.65006285144575 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (381g)
- Sodium 1424.83434789625 mg
- Sugar 53.365764730493 g
- Trans Fat 4.8396298438275 g
- Calories 660 calories
Step-by-step
- Prepare stuffing according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute mushrooms and onion in butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, corn, broccoli, soup, milk, sour cream, mayonnaise, pepper and mushroom mixture; transfer to a greased 13-in x 9-in. baking dish. Top with stuffing. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer or until stuffing is lightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Replacing the fresh mushrooms with canned button mushrooms releases excess moisture into the dairy base, resulting in a watery consistency that ruins the binding power of the condensed soup and mayonnaise mixture. Sautéing the fresh mushrooms first drives off their internal water content so they brown rather than steam.
The Physics of Overnight Chilling
Refrigerating a 13-by-9-inch baking dish for twelve hours causes the starches in the stuffing mix to continue absorbing liquid from the surrounding environment. Pulling the dish from the refrigerator exactly thirty minutes before placing it into a 350-degree oven prevents the outer edges from scorching while the center remains cold. Aluminum foil traps steam during the initial thirty-five minutes of baking, ensuring the frozen corn and chopped broccoli reach a safe internal temperature without drying out the cubed chicken.Judging Doneness Without a Probe
Removing the cover for the final ten to fifteen minutes allows convection heat to crisp the top layer of the stuffing mix until it turns golden brown. Visual indicators dictate when to pull the dish from the heat source rather than relying solely on timing. Bubbling edges and a firm, set center indicate the dairy emulsion has reached its thermal threshold, while dry, pulling edges signal overcooking. Allowing the casserole to rest undisturbed for ten minutes redistributes the internal moisture so individual portions hold their shape on the plate.
