Turning Leftover Chicken Into A Casserole

The food stylist took the day off, so this didn't make the center of the plate. Oh that's right, THE SAVVY SHOPPER doesn't have a food stylist. (Plus, my phone takes yellow pictures, which is why this is a writing, not a photo blog.) Fortunately the casserole tastes the same. Delicious.😊 

My supermarkets run sales on roast chicken so often, I rarely bake a chicken anymore. The price of a whole chicken (whether raw or a roast) is about the same; therefore, I let Key Food, or C-town do the work. I come home with hot roast chicken ready to eat!

Leftovers are turned into chicken salad, or sandwiches. Last night I turned the leftovers into a chicken casserole. It was my first time making a casserole of any kind; and it was tasty. I used ingredients in the refrigerator that had to go! So feel free to vary the vegetables. Look to my recipe below as a guide. (I doubt I will use avocado the next time I make the dish, if the avocado is fresh and soft to eat with salsa. I had an avocado, which never ripened, so I decided to bake it in my casserole.) If you don't have leftover chicken, you can grill 2-3 chicken breasts in a pan before you start:

Chicken and Quinoa Casserole

Ingredients:

1 cup dried quinoa (Any grain [rice, millet, etc.] can be substituted.)
1/2 water
leftover whole chicken (or 2-3 chicken breasts), cooked and cubed
16 ounce package frozen broccoli florets
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, cubed
3 carrots, sliced thin
2 cups milk
2 large chicken bouillon cubes (or 4 small)
1/2 cup flour
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 Parmesan cheese
cooking spray, or olive oil (I use the olive oil.)

Optional: avocado, cubed

Spices to taste: I use salt (taste test first, since some brands of bouillon have plenty of salt), black pepper, red pepper flakes; dried celery powder, dried garlic powder, dried onion powder, rosemary, basil, Herbes de Provence, a few turns of a nutmeg mill and Worcestershire sauce.

Directions:

1) Brush you casserole pan with olive oil (or use cooking spray). Spread the quinoa on the bottom of the pan, and pour about 1/2 cup of water on top of it to soak up. Let the uncooked quinoa absorb the water while you prepare the other ingredients. The water will enable the quinoa to cook during baking. If left dry, it will not get tender. (Some cooks raise quinoa, instead, but I can't be bothered.😏)

2) Next layer with the cubed chicken, broccoli florets, minced garlic, and the vegetables you are using. Season to taste.

3) Make a white sauce in a sauce pan on your stove top by

combining 2 cups of milk with 1/2 cup of flour and the chicken bouillon cubes. Whisk while the mixture heats, then simmers over a medium flame. It will thicken in about 5 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. After the white sauce thickens, pour it over the chicken, spices and vegetables.

4) Top with sliced, or shredded sharp cheddar cheese; and sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese. I like the green of dried parsley sprinkled on top as a last step.

5) Bake in the oven at 350 F degrees for about 40 minutes.

I love one pot meals! A mesh-mash of healthy and cheesy ingredients that stick to the ribs with an easy-breezy clean up of one pan. Heck yeah! Grab a fork. Bon appétit, friends!


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