Hubby's Favorite

My chicken casserole is one of  my husband's favorite meals.  He absolutely loves it.  Sometimes I make it for just us, and other times I make it for company.  It also makes a great dish to take to church gatherings, family get-togethers, or any occasion that calls for covered dish. 

Depending on your schedule, you can cook the chicken one night while you're doing other things and then assemble and bake it the next night.  It takes next to no time to assemble it.  We serve it with a couple of vegetables and with the stuffing baked right in with the chicken that's really all you need.  Sometimes I add a fruit salad or a fruit based dessert to the meal. 

There are also several options depending on your likes.  Some chopped onion and celery go well in this dish.  I saute them in a little olive oil or butter while the chicken is cooking and then dump them in the casserole with everything else.  If you have some on hand, fresh garlic is always the better choice.  Sometimes I also substitute a can of cream of celery soup for one of the cream of chickens.  You can also experiment with the cheese.  We really like cheddar in this dish.

I am sorry there aren't more pictures of the process with this dish, but hubby was in a big hurry for dinner, and I forgot.  I was able to snag one picture before it all got gone.  Maybe next time.  Hubby says that's a mighty big maybe.

Chicken Casserole

·         3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

·         2 cans cream of chicken soup

·         2 cups dry stuffing mix (reserve ½ cup)

·          ¾ cup milk

·         1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

·         1 teaspoon dry mustard

·         1 teaspoon sage

·         ½ teaspoon onion powder

·         ½ teaspoon thyme

·         ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

·         ⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Fill medium-sized pot about three quarters full of water.  Add chicken breasts.  Bring to a rolling boil.  Lower heat but maintain boil.  Cook for 30 minutes or until done.  Remove chicken from water and place on cutting board.  Using two forks pull chicken breasts apart shredding chicken into bite size pieces. 

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Spray a 9x13 inch glass dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Set aside.

Place shredded chicken in large mixing bowl.   Add cream of chicken soup, 1 ½ cups stuffing mix, milk, cheese, and spices.  Mix well with a large spoon.    

Scoop into glass dish spreading and flattening mixture into corners.  Bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes.  Sprinkle reserved stuffing mix over top of casserole.  Return to oven for 15 more minutes.