Chicken Parmesan Casserole

A.K.A. "Pizza Chicken" in my house.

I'd been seeing this recipe for awhile on Pinterest and I finally decided to give it a try. Pizza reigns supreme with my youngest son, who also is a very (very) picky eater. So I though this recipe would be a great fit to try out on him especially. I made the original recipe once and it was a big hit with everyone in my family.

 The second time I made it (which is pictured here) I decided to make a few changes.

 The original recipe calls for using a bag of seasoned croutons for the topping, which I thought made the casserole a bit salty for my taste, so I opted to make my own croutons. The other major change I made was to cut the chicken up into smaller pieces, instead of leaving the chicken breasts whole.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

~serves about 6~

What you need:

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

sprinkle of red pepper flakes

about 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into approximately 2-3 inch chunks

salt & pepper

2 1/2 - 3 c. tomato sauce

1/4 c. chopped fresh basil

8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 oz. fresh grated Parmesan cheese (about a cup)

about 4 c. homemade croutons, or your favorite store bought brand (I've included my recipe below)

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt & pepper.

3. In a 13 x 9 inch baking dish, add chicken, olive oil, garlic and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Toss well, spread out in an even layer. Spread tomato sauce evenly over chicken and sprinkle with chopped basil.

4. Sprinkle half the mozzarella and half the Parmesan over the sauce layer. Spread the croutons over the cheese. Then sprinkle the remaining cheese over the layer of croutons.

5. Bake for 35 minutes.

*To make homemade croutons: 
2 cloves garlic minced to a paste
3 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 t. salt
4 c. fresh bread cubes (1/2 -3/4 inch cubes)

Combine oil, garlic, and salt in a large bowl. Add bread cubes and toss until well coated. Spread onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 15 -20 minutes, until golden brown.

Recipe Source: Adapted From Food Wishes

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe is an oldie. I started making it about 10 years ago when I was a new mom and still kinda a newly-wed. It was fun as a new cook to throw together these kind of simple recipes. I went through a long  phase where I was always on the lookout for a good casserole. Eventually as my cooking skills improved I made recipes like this less and less. Now I rarely make these kind of canned soup concoctions.  And I didn't make this recipe in particular for at least 4 or 5 years. But it's turned out to be a perennial favorite, for my oldest son in particular, who loves it!

Let's face it, this is grub food. It's not fancy, it's not complex (and it didn't photograph very well). But it's a great recipe that can be quickly put together that will fill up the hungry bellies in your family.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

~serves 6-8~

Note* This recipe calls for 4 cups of cooked chicken. I usually use 3 large chicken breasts (about 1 3/4 lb.), which I season with salt and pepper and then poach in about 2 cups of water in a large skillet (covered) for about 20 minutes over medium heat, turning once halfway through the cooking (first I bring the water and seasoned chicken to a simmer over medium high heat). You could also use leftover chicken from another recipe or even leftover turkey.

Ingredients: 

10 flour tortillas

4 c. coarsely chopped chicken 

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 (7 oz.) can chopped green chiles

4 oz. softened cream cheese

1/2 c. plus 1 c. sour cream

8 oz. (2 c.) package shredded mexican cheese blend 

Salsa, for serving (optional)

Instructions:

1. Move oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.

2. In a large bowl mix together soup, chiles (I don't bother draining the chiles), cream cheese and 1/2 c. sour cream. Mix in the chopped chicken. Using a half cup measure, portion out the filling between the tortillas. Roll up and place seam-side down in the baking dish.

3. In a medium bowl, mix together remaining 1 c. sour cream and the cheese. Evenly spread this over the enchiladas. Bake, uncovered 30-35 minutes, or until bubbly and slightly browned. Sometimes I will put the casserole under the broiler for a couple minutes to brown the top a little more. (Careful if using a pyrex pan under the broiler.)

Shrimp and Orzo Casserole

Springtime in the pacific Northwest can be pretty unpredictable. This year that is definitely no exception.

 Case in point:

 Today it was gloriously sunny, warm enough for sandals, bright enough for sunglasses. Just an all around ideal day. Took the dog for a walk with my son this afternoon, beautiful.

Two days ago we got a freak snow storm that put 2 inches on the ground and caused a 2-hour school delay.

Schizophrenic weather. Oh well, keeps things interesting I guess. And keeps my beautiful Northwest lush and green.

This dish to me is the quintessential springtime casserole. It is warm and comforting enough for the colder days of spring (or when you get a freak snowstorm in the middle of your sunnier days), but the flavors are light and bright, especially suited for springtime. So it's good to go no matter what surprises the weather holds.

Shrimp and Orzo Casserole

~serves 8~

I like to serve this dish with a super simple salad of baby spinach tossed with a little red wine vinegar or lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. large shrimp (31-40), peeled, deveined, tails removed

salt and pepper

3 T. extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion chopped fine

1 fennel bulb cored, chopped fine plus 2 tablespoons of the feathery fronds chopped (for garnish)

6 garlic cloves minced

3/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes

1 lb. orzo

3/4 c. white wine

2 c. low-sodium chicken broth

2 1/2 c water

28 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

4 t. chopped fresh oregano (1 t. dried oregano can be substituted)

8 oz. feta cheese coarsely crumbled

2 T. chopped fresh parsley, divided

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pat shrimp dry and season well with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high until oil shimmers. Add onion, fennel and 1/2 t. salt. Cook, stirring frequently until vegetables are tender and just browning about 10 minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes, cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 

2. Add orzo, cook, stirring constantly until orzo is coated with oil and starts to become toasty and browned, about 4 minutes. Add white wine, cook until liquid evaporates, about a minute. Add broth, water and 1/4 t. salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until orzo is mostly tender, about 12 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to keep at a lively simmer and stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Stir in tomatoes, shrimp, oregano and 1 T. parsley.

3. Pour into a 13x9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the feta cheese and bake about 20 minutes, until the shrimp turn pink and the cheese is lightly browned. Before serving, sprinkle with chopped fennel fronds and remaining parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.

Recipe adapted from Cover & Bake