Category: MISC

CHICKEN COUNTRY CASSOULET
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, diced
1 pound fat sausages of choice, cut into bite sized pieces
3 tablespoons butter
1 large Vidalia onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 carrots, sliced
1/2 pound snap peas, washed and deveined
1/4 cup fresh minced parsley
1 14-ounce can petit diced tomatoes, basil, garlic & oregano
1 tablespoon Classico sun-dried tomato puree
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried
2 +/- cups chicken stock
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs**
salt and ground black pepper

•  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Brown the bacon until browned and crumbly in Dutch oven casserole dish.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
• Add chicken and sausages and brown on all sides. Remove from fat and set aside. 

• Add the onions and garlic and cook 3-4 minutes until softened. 
• Add the carrots, snap peas and parsley, sauteing 3-4 more minutes.
• Add tomatoes, tomato puree, spices and salt and pepper to taste.

• Add meat back in.
• Add enough of the stock to just cover the meat and veggies, you don’t want things swimming around too much.  You can always add more stock during the cooking if needed. 

• Cover dish and cook 1 hour.
• Add more stock if necessary. Spread crumbs over the top and cook uncovered for 40 more minutes or until browned. 
• Try adding other vegetables such as broccoli or white beans for variety.  

**I used crushed ritz crackers today and they worked reallllllllllllllly well as a substitute!

Chicken and Spinach Noodle Casserole
1tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
10 ounces package frozen chopped spinach, partially thawed
15 ounces container Ricotta cheese, part skim
3 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground pepper to taste
6 ounces wide noodles, not egg noodles

• In a small saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon of the butter. 
• Add the onion and garlic, cover and cook over low heat until the onion is tender, about 8 minutes. 
• Add the spinach, increase heat to medium, cover and cook until the spinach has completely thawed. 
• Uncover the spinach and stir it over slightly higher heat until all the excess liquid has evaporated. Let it cool slightly.
• In a large mixing bowl, stir together the spinach mixture, Ricotta and Parmesan. Season with nutmeg and pepper.
• Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling water. Do not salt water. Do not add oil to water. Season with onion powder and stir in keep from sticking. 
• Drain and immediately stir into the cheese and spinach mixture.
• Butter a deep 1 to 1 1/2 quart baking dish with 1 teaspoon of butter and pack in the mixture. 
• Dot the top with the remaining 1 teaspoon of butter and bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes, or until the top is brown and crusty. Let the casserole stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Modifications:

-I decided at the last minute to add some chicken to this dish so I cut up 2 chicken breasts.
-I used 2 garlic cloves.
-I added a handful of fresh, chopped parsley.
-I used about 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Put a pot of water on to boil for the noodles.
• Chop up an onion and 2 garlic cloves.

• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan.
• Chop up the chicken breasts and brown in the melted butter.
• Add the onion and garlic cloves and let it all cook for about 7-8 minutes.

• Add 3 big handfuls of semi-defrosted chopped spinach.
• Cover it and let it cook for another 6-7 minutes to totally defrost. I then uncovered it and cooked for a couple of more minutes.

• Put a container of ricotta cheese and about 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese in a bowl. 
• Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook until al dente.  I used about 1/2 of a bag of egg noodles. 
• Uncover the chicken mixture and throw in some fresh chopped parsley.
• Put the chicken mixture into the same bowl as the cheeses.
• Drain the noodles and add them in with the chicken and cheese.
• Spray a 9×9 baking dish (anything this size will work) and put the entire mixture in the dish.
• Cut up some pads of butter and put them on top.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.