prep: 1 hour 10 minutes
cook: under 45 minutes
cool: none
This is one of my kids’ favorite dishes and a go-to of mine when I want to take dinner to a new mother or a family who could use a hot meal—mostly because it’s easy to love, even for the pickiest eaters. The chicken is mild in flavor yet completely satisfying. A lot of traditional recipes will serve the chicken on a bed of rice or with a buttery cracker or stuffing-like topping. I prefer to crumble a baguette and bake it right on top, because it never fails to meld oh-so-perfectly with the creamy sauce—which makes it that much easier for a bread-dipping connoisseur like me to get a taste of the good stuff. Often I choose to serve this dish over mashed potatoes and with a side of cranberry sauce and green beans.
1 baguette torn into 1-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup minced yellow onion (1 medium)
½ cup minced celery
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups heavy cream
5 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (home-roasted or rotisserie chicken)
1 cup sour cream
2 cups chicken broth
Freshly cracked black pepper, for garnish
3 green onions, minced (optional)
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Holiday Cranberry Sauce, for serving
1. Lay the torn bread on a sheet pan and place it in a warm oven until dried out, 1 hour on low heat.
2. Increase the oven heat to 325°F.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and sauté until tender and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and flour and cook, whisking constantly, until fragrant but not burned, about 1 minute. Add the garlic salt, salt, and pepper and slowly pour in the cream. Cook, whisking often, until just at a simmer, about 5 minutes.
5. Spread the chicken in a 9 × 13-inch baking dish and spread the sour cream on top. Pour the cream sauce evenly on top and sprinkle on the bread pieces. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, mix in the chicken broth, and pour it over the casserole, coating the bread well.
6. Bake, uncovered, until bubbling, about 30 minutes. Broil the last 3 to 4 minutes for a good toasty top. Top with freshly cracked pepper and a sprinkle of minced green onions and parsley, if desired.
7. Scoop out the casserole to serve with cranberry sauce on the side.
8. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Makes 8 to 10 servings