Day 30: Mom's Chicken Casserole

In continuation with the February vacation celebration, here is both lunch and dinner for today!  We had a playdate for lunch, today, which is always a fun way to spend time off from work. :)  And what better way for kids to be cozy inside, with the snow outside, than to have grilled cheese?  My special grilled cheese "recipe" or idea comes from Giada De Laurentis.  I saw her do a kid-special episode of "Giada at Home" and got this idea...

I started with our homemade bread.  (It makes any ordinary sandwich so much better!)  In the food processor, I combine 2 cups of shredded mild cheddar cheese (or Monterey Jack cheese), 1 stick of softened butter, and about 1-2 cups of fresh spinach leaves.  Pulse until a thick "paste" forms.  Spread this between the 2 slices of bread and grill as usual.  I roll the remaining cheese mixture into cling wrap and refrigerate until the next grilled cheese lunch!  Add fruit (grapes, today), chips or pretzels, yogurt, and a special dessert brought to us by Abby's friend, Elena, and you've got quite a hearty lunch!

Abby has another playdate scheduled for tomorrow, and for that, we prepared some rice krispie treats with M&Ms on top!  It's fun having a kitchen helper!

Tonight's dinner was supposed to be an easy make-ahead meal so I could go to group ride at 5:30.  But with the snow, I was unable to escape.  We still had our planned meal, though.  It's a very easy recipe, with mild (but good!) flavor.  It's perfect comfort food and well-liked by even the pickiest eaters.  Believe it or not, I consider my childhood self to have been a picky eater.  But I remember always being pleased when Mom piled chicken casserole on our plates.  I'm pretty sure I serve the same sides as she did--it just brings back memories.  My mother's recipe calls for 1 lb of chicken breast, boiled with salt, pepper, and parsley.  Instead, I just use 2-3 breasts with the skin on and bake them at 400* with oil, salt, and pepper.  And rather than make one big casserole, I tend to divide it into two--one for the freezer.  Our family is small enough still that we really only need half a casserole for dinner.  Here's the recipe:

Chicken Casserole
2 chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on (baked at 400* with salt and pepper for 25-30 minutes)
2 TB butter

2 TB flour
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 pkg Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing
1/2 stick melted butter

Shred the chicken and set aside.  Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the flour and cook 1 minute.  Add the stock, milk, and soup and mix.  Add the chicken and turn off the heat.  Season with salt and pepper, and pour into a casserole dish.  Top with dry stuffing, and then the melted butter.  Bake at 350* for 1 hour.  (I bake mine for 30 minutes when I only do a half of casserole.)  Tonight it was served with rice pilaf and corn.  

"Mm, another comfort food meal!" ~ Randy