Monday, December 29, 2008

Chicken-Andouille Casserole (ala jaxie-style)



Yes!!! It's been a very long time since I posted and so I've come to post many a things... It's a stupid excuse to blame my missing camera cord for the reason I have not posted in so long. So here goes--as you all know... it's now winter... and you know what that means... the season of comfort foods. I've been making all sorts of warm, gooey goodness (*smile*) ...to comfort me in these times of coldness, wetness ;o), and something that hopefully warms you up from head to toe.

First off the list: I made a casserole today--if you don't know what that is... please ask your mom or your grandma. I feel sad if you've never had a casserole before. It's also uber-easy to make because I was helping my mom clean out her fridge by grabbing her leftover rotisserie chicken from Costco.

Chicken-Andouille Casserole

1-2 lbs. chicken leftovers or boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (I used italian-seasoned bread crumbs.)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tbsp melted butter
3 tbsps vegetable oil
6 oz. andouille sausage, chopped (I diced mine.)
1 cup chopped yellow onions
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp cayenne
4 oz. mushrooms, stemmed, wiped clean, and sliced
1 1/2 cups chicken stock (I used chicken broth.)
1 can Campbell's cream of mushroom
3 tbsp chopped green onions
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

[If you're using raw chicken: In a heavy plastic bag, combine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour with 1 1/2 tsp's of italian seasoning. Add the chicken and toss until well coated. Shake to remove any excess breading and reserve the remaining flour.)

In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs (If you're not using seasoned bread crumbs, add some additional seasoning.), cheese, and butter and set aside.

In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides (for raw, cook about 5 minutes.) Transfer to a plate.

Add the sausage and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until almost browned, about 4 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, and cayenne and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until they are soft and give off their liquid, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the whole can of cream of mushroom condensed soup gradually, and stir until mixed well together. Add the chicken, stock (or broth), green onions, and parsley, stir, and bring to a boil. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the top and bake until bubbly and the top has a golden crust, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Here is my one, very important variation: Emeril's recipe calls for the casserole to be served over toasted French bread--but I suggest taking cooked pasta and mixing it with the chicken and cream of mushroom sauce mixture before sprinkling the bread crumbs over it and putting it in the oven. (See picture as reference--I used shell pasta... one of my favorites!!)

This recipe was inspired by Emeril's Chicken-Andouille Casserole, http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/chicken-andouille-casserole-recipe/index.html

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