I know, again with the chicken! But there are just so many delicious ways to cook chicken and here’s another one. Easy and quick to make with pre-cooked chicken, this casserole covers all the bases with protein, starch and vegetables all in one mouth-watering package. So if you have some chicken (thighs, drums, breasts whatever) or leftover rotisserie chicken, this is a great way to use it up that your family will enjoy.
Make sure your oven rack is in the upper half of the oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 9×13 casserole (or spray with non-stick spray). Over medium high heat, heat a medium sized Dutch oven and add:
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 slices of bacon, diced
Cook bacon until it’s crisp. If you don’t want to eat the bacon fat, drain it before adding:
1 tablespoon olive oil (3 tablespoons if you drained the bacon fat off)
1 medium onion, diced
3-4 celery stalks, diced
1 cup thinly sliced carrots (or shredded)
1 cup frozen peas
Reduce heat to medium and cook until vegetables are softened. Stir into the vegetables:
1/4 cup gluten-free, all-purpose flour (I had to use 1/3 cup to absorb all the oil)
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup non-dairy milk (anything EXCEPT soy)*
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Stir, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to get all those wonderful drippings from the bacon. Cook, stirring frequently until sauce is thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Add:
3 cups diced or shredded chicken
3 cups diced and cooked potatoes (I used a mix of sweet and Russet potatoes)
Turn off heat. Pour (or ladle like I had to) the chicken mixture into the prepared casserole dish. In a medium bowl combine:
1 cup gluten-free bread crumbs
2 tablespoons avocado oil
Using a fork, mix thoroughly so that the bread crumbs are combined with the oil. Add:
1 cup gluten-free French-fried onions (or forget the bread crumbs and just use onions, oh so tasty!)
Spread the bread crumb mixture evenly over the casserole and bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool slightly before serving. Serves 6-8 generously.
*The original recipe called for cream. Silk now makes a non-dairy cream which you could use in place of the non-dairy milk for a richer sauce. The Silk cream is coconut based.
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