Party Chicken Casserole
When it comes to comfort food, few dishes can rival the heartwarming goodness of a chicken casserole. This “party chicken casserole” as I call it, is the amalgamation of tender chicken, rich creamy sauce, and tantalizing flavors creates a dish that is both satisfying and comforting. In this recipe, we take the classic chicken casserole up a notch by adding a crispy parmesan crust to the chicken, giving it a delightful texture and flavor and then topping the entire thing with a flavorful cheese. By using store bought soup and sour cream for the sauce, this inexpensive and simple casserole can be on the table any weeknight in around an hour.
For a complete family dinner, serve this casserole with rice or pasta and veggies or a fresh tossed salad. To make it even quicker and easier, grab a salad kit from the store. If your family is like mine and there’s always an activity to get to in the evenings, this casserole will help you get there on time. You can also make this the day before and keep it in the refrigerator, then just pop it into a preheated oven and do the final bake for dinner while you make the sides. It will keep in the refrigerator for a day or two.
This party chicken casserole is one of my family’s favorites. My kids didn’t even know there were mushrooms in it for many years, which was good for me, because two of the three don’t like mushrooms. Now, even knowing very well that it has mushrooms, they still love it. So if you have mushroom haters in your midst I suggest giving it a try anyway, or alternatively you could substitute the mushroom soup for cream of chicken (although it will affect the flavor of the sauce).
Party Chicken is quick to make for a busy family and it is budget friendly as well. It is very similar to my “Chicken and Chips” that they also love and often request. If you have a larger family or want to have leftovers (which are delicious), then double or even triple the recipe to suit your needs.
Party Chicken
Equipment
- 1 medium casserole dish
- 1 frying pan
Ingredients
For the Dredge
- 500 grams Chicken breast (cut into strips) *about 16 pieces
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese *I use the stuff in the can for this part
- ½ cup All purpose flour
- Salt and pepper
- 1 lg egg
- 1 T water (for egg wash)
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 Tbsp butter
For the Sauce
- 2 cans cream of mushroom soup *regular 12 oz cans
- 1 can sour cream *equal to 1.5 cups
- 2 cups shredded swiss or gruyere cheese *freshly grated or shredded is best
Instructions
- Cut your chicken into strips about 1" wide and 4" long, season with salt and pepper, set aside
- In a small bowl or dish, combine the 1 cup grated parmesan cheese and ½ cup All purpose flour and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine
- Set up a dredging station, first the 1 lg egg and 1 T water in a bowl, then the parmesan cheese and flour mixture
- One piece at a time, dip the chicken strips into the egg wash, then into the parmesan and flour mixture and coat evenly, set aside on a plate or tray and continue until all of the chicken has been coated with the cheese mixture.
- In a large frying pan on the stovetop, add the 3 Tbsp olive oil and the3 Tbsp butter and melt over medium heat.
- Once the oil and butter is hot, add the chicken strips and working in batches if necessary, cook the strips until golden brown on both sides and place them into the casserole dish as they are done. When about half of the strips are cooked, spoon about 1 cup of the sauce over them in the casserole dish.
- Once all of the chicken is done and in the casserole dish, spoon the remaining sauce mixture over the top, covering all of the chicken, then sprinkle the top with 2 cups shredded swiss or gruyere cheese (more or less as you desire)
- Bake in 350℉ oven for 30 minutes uncovered, until the cheese is bubbly and slightly brown on top. Serve over rice.