Classic Green Bean Chicken Casserole

((Here’s another classic family meal in the form of the ever versatile casserole. One plate meals are great for feeding lots of people with very little effort, but the taste is outstanding!))

**Easy Difficulty**
Serves 4 to 6

1 6 oz / 170 g package of Baby Portabella Mushrooms (1 standard pack), sliced
1 6 oz / 170 g package of Stuffing (1 standard box)
1 lbs / 450 g fresh Green Beans, ends removed, cleaned, cut into 1 in / 2.5 cm pieces
1 lbs / 450 g skinless Chicken Breast, roughly 2 med breasts, butterflied, cut into strips
1 cup / 235 ml Chicken Broth
2 cups / 470 ml Milk
2 Tbsp / 30 g All Purpose Flour (may need more to thicken gravy)
2 Tbsp / 40 g Butter
1 Tbsp / 15 g fresh Chives, minced
1 Tbsp / 15 g fresh Oregano, minced
1 Tbsp / 15 g fresh Basil, minced
1 Tbsp / 15 g fresh Garlic, minced
4 Tbsp / 60 g fresh Onions, thin sliced
1 tsp / 5 g Cracked Peppercorns
Salt to Taste
1 Bay Leaf

1.) In a large, deep pan set on medium heat on the stove, add in Butter to melt and heat up. Then add in Garlic to brown. Then add in Onions and Mushrooms and cover the pan with the lid to let the Onions and Mushrooms sweat and release their moisture. Once the Onions are translucent and the Mushrooms are soft, remove lid and add in Flour and mix to make a Roux. Brown the Roux lightly and then add Milk slowly while whisking.

2.) Mix in Chicken Broth, and let the liquid heat to a simmer. Then add in Bay Leaf, Basil, Oregano, Chives, Peppercorns, and Salt to your desired Salt level. Reduce heat, simmer and let thicken. This is our Mushroom Gravy. Remove from stove and set aside. Remove Bay Leaf as well!

(If Gravy is not thick enough even after letting everything simmer for a while, you can make a slurry to help it. Add a bit of the liquid to a bowl to let cool, then add a little bit more flour. Mix the slurry and add it back into the Gravy and stir. Let simmer and see how the Gravy fairs.)

3.) Take the Chicken Breasts strips and placed them into the Casserole Dish. Place the Green Beans on top of the Chicken. Pour Mushroom Gravy over everything. Then add the dry Stuffing mix on top of the Gravy. You read correctly, we’re using the Stuffing as the topping without softening it with any liquid. It’ll soften when it cooks in the Oven.

4.) In an oven set at 400 degrees F / 205 degrees C, place Casserole Dish too cook for 30 to 40 minutes. Chicken should be cooked all the way through, but cook for another 10 minutes if Chicken is still raw inside. Stuffing will be partly crunchy, partly soft and silky. Remove from Oven and let sit for another 10 Minutes, Then Serve!


Extra Info: For this recipe, I bought a Stuffing box that was labelled “For Chicken,’ but you can use any flavor you like. Speaking of using any flavors you like, you can substitute the herbs out with any of your favorite herbs. Thyme, Rosemary, Parsley, etc. The Gravy is pretty versatile, and so is the Casserole. You can use Broccoli instead of Green Beans, or even Cauliflower. Just make sure you take the liquid release of each vegetable into account if you are substituting something in for Green Beans. Broccoli and Cauliflower should be blanched and dried before being used.

For the Chicken amount, you can add in more Chicken if you like as well. I just decided I wanted more Vegetables in my dish that day for health reasons. You can easily use Turkey if you like as well! It would cook the same way. Happy Eating!