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Casserole

Casserole/ Chicken/ Soup

Skillet Chicken and Dumplings

On the menu today – Skillet Chicken and Dumplings!

The last time I made chicken and dumplings, it was a disaster. It was my first attempt and I didn’t let the dumplings cook long enough. As a result, the dumplings were awful. With the weather getting cooler, I decided to try it again. This time I took a shortcut and used biscuits instead of making the dumplings myself.

This dish is a complete success! One bite with the chicken, a bit of dumpling, and of course the thick sauce… it’s like a nice warm hug. YUM!

You get a bonus recipe on this post. I’m also including a recipe for homemade chicken stock. How many times do you buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store? I buy them pretty frequently, but I had been throwing away the bones – don’t do that. Use the bones along with the other things I will list in the recipe and make your own chicken stock. It’s really easy and taste so much better than store bought. No judgement if you decide to use store bought stock for your version of chicken and dumplings.

Let me know how your version turns out!

Skillet Chicken and Dumplings

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By Patrick Dulmage Serves: 8-10
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 40 minutes Total Time: 55 minutes

Skillet Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

  • 1 rotisserie chicken, pulled from the bone and cubed - discard the skin (about 4 cups)
  • 1 Vidalia Onion, diced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 4 Tbsp butter
  • 32 oz chicken stock, homemade or store bought
  • 1 16.3 oz container of refrigerated biscuit dough
  • 1/4 cup stone-ground corn meal
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

1

In a medium mixing bowl, mix the corn meal, paprika, and about a half teaspoon of salt

2

Open the tube of biscuits and cut each one into bite sized pieces

3

Toss the biscuit pieces in the corn meal mixture and set aside

4

In a large cast iron skillet, heat the butter

5

Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes

6

Add the flour and mix with the onions and let cook another 3-5 minutes

7

Slowly add the chicken stock and stir constantly to thoroughly combine all the ingredients

8

Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil

9

Reduce the heat to a simmer, then add the chicken, half of the parsley, carrot, and celery

10

Cover the chicken mixture with the biscuit pieces and then cover

11

Cook for about 25 minutes on low

12

The "dumplings" should be light, fluffy, and fully cooked

13

Garnish with the rest of the parsley

14

Let it cool at least 5 minutes before serving

Casserole/ Vegetarian

Haluski – Fried Cabbage, Onions, and Pasta

On the Menu tonight – Haluski!

What in the world is Haluski? It is a traditional Polish dish made of cabbage, onions, and egg noodles. In my version, I used farfalle (bow-tie) pasta because it’s prettier.

The last time I made this was during Christmas time a few years ago. My brother suggested we make something different for Christmas dinner. We decided on a Polish theme since our grand parents were of Eastern European decent. The only Polish dish I’d made was Stuffed Cabbage. After some research, I decided to make Haluski. It was FANTASTIC!

Now that it’s getting cold, I decided to make it again. Now, I’m sharing the recipe with you. Two tips – 1) Good butter and lots of it. 2) Lots of freshly ground pepper. Don’t use the pre-ground pepper for this dish.

There are only a few ingredients, so use the best you can find. All the ingredients are pretty inexpensive too, a head of cabbage, an onion, a pound of pasta, salt and pepper. You can feed a crowd for less money than you would spend on one fast meal.

I hope that you will try this dish. Let me know how your version turns out.

Haluski - Fried Cabbage, Onions, and Pasta

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By Patrick Dulmage Serves: 10-12
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 1 hour

Haluski - Fried Cabbage, Onions, and Pasta

Ingredients

  • 1 Head of cabbage, chopped to bite-sized pieces
  • 1 Large onion
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped or minced
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 1 lb farfalle (bow tie) pasta
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees

2

In a large Dutch oven, pre-heat over medium heat

3

Add 1/2 stick of butter, then

4

Add the diced onion and cook 3-5 minutes, until translucent

5

Add the garlic and cook an additional minute

6

Add the chopped cabbage, the other half stick of butter, and continue to cook about 10-15 minutes - long enough to soften the cabbage

7

Season with salt and freshly ground pepper

8

While the cabbage is cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil

9

Heavily season the boiling water with Kosher salt and add the pasta

10

Cook the pasta to package directions and set aside

11

Once the cabbage is cooked, add it and the pasta to a 13x9 casserole dish

12

Mix the pasta, cabbage, and onions together. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary

13

Bake for 30 minutes until you see golden brown bits on top

Casserole/ Fish/ Vegetarian

Not Your Average Tuna Casserole

On the Menu Tonight – Not Your Average Tuna Casserole!

I really like Tuna Casserole, but it is one of those things I just don’t make very often. This version of Tuna Casserole is elevated by using fresher ingredients. For example, I didn’t use any frozen veggies or any dry herbs. Most versions I have had include peas, but I swapped them out with diced red bell pepper. Instead of using canned cream of mushroom soup, I made it.

The results were FANTASTIC! Whether you are feeding a big family, or making enough for leftovers, try my version of Tuna Casserole.

Tuna Casserole

Not Your Average Tuna Casserole

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By Patrick Dulmage Serves: 8-12
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 1 hour

Not Your Average Tuna Casserole

Ingredients

  • 16 oz egg noodles
  • 3 6.4 oz cans tuna fish, drained and broken into small pieces
  • 1 diced onion
  • 3 cups whole milk (2% is OK, but don't go below 2% fat), warmed or room temp
  • 8 Tbsp butter
  • 6-8 oz mushrooms, finely chopped (White button or Cremini)
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

1

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

2

Boil the egg noodles according to pkg directions, drain and set aside

3

Pre-heat large skillet over medium-high heat

4

Add 4 Tbsp of butter to the pan along with the diced onion

5

Let the onions get translucent, then add the mushrooms and cook 2-3 more minutes

6

Add the flour and mix thoroughly to coat the onions and mushrooms

7

Slowly add the milk and whisk/mix as you go to avoid lumps

8

Season with salt and pepper

9

When the mixture thickens, add the tuna, half the chopped parsley, and red bell pepper

10

Add the egg noodles and mix to coat all the noodles

11

Transfer to a buttered baking dish (13x9)

12

Melt the remaining 4 Tbsp of butter and mix with the panko and remaining parsley

13

Top the casserole with the bread crumb mix and put in the oven

14

Bake for 25-30 minutes

15

Let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving

Notes

If you mix the noodles with the creamy tuna mixture and it looks like you need more liquid, add a can of cream of mushroom soup with a little additional milk.

Casserole/ Chicken

Chicken and Tater Tot Hotdish

On the menu tonight – Chicken and Tater Tot Hotdish! What’s a hot dish? It’s a mid-west casserole that contains a protein, starch, a creamed soup, and a vegetable. In this version, think chicken pot pie but the crust is tater tots!

If you like chicken pot pie, but are intimidated by making the crust, this is the one to try! Start by giving the tots a pre-cook in the oven. I like really crispy tots and since they won’t be fried, this your chance to get them crispy.

While the tots are in the oven, sauté the onion until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Then add some flour and butter to the pan to make the roux. Let the flour cook 2-3 minutes and begin adding the milk, whisking as you go to avoid clumps.

Instead of chopping carrots, I used a pea and carrot mix from the frozen section to save a little time. Add that to the mix along with the chicken, bouillon, and other seasonings. Let everything simmer 10-15 minutes, until the chicken cooks through.

Transfer the mix to a baking dish and cover with the tots. Put the baking dish in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Let me know how your version of this hot dish turns out!

Chicken and Tater Tot Hotdish

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By Patrick Dulmage Serves: 8-10
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Chicken and Tater Tot Hotdish

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp Butter
  • 1lb chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 Vidalia Onion, finely diced
  • 1 16 oz pkg frozen peas and carrots
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk, room temp
  • 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon, Chicken broth
  • 1 tsp dried Thyme
  • 1 tsp dried (or fresh) Rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1 bag Tater Tots

Instructions

1

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees

2

Put the tater tots on an oiled baking sheet, bake for about 20-25 minutes to make sure they are crispy

3

While the tots bake, pre-heat a large skillet with some butter and the onions. Cook about 5 minutes

4

Add the flour to the pan along with some more butter to make the roux

5

Stir the flour, butter, and onions around for 2-3 minutes, then slowly whisk in the milk

6

Continuously stir to avoid clumps in the sauce

7

Add the chicken, bouillon, carrot/pea mix, thyme, and rosemary to the sauce

8

Simmer for about 10-12 minutes to cook the chicken through, then transfer to a baking dish (13x9)

9

Cover the mixture with the tater tots and put in the oven for about 30 minutes

Casserole/ Chicken

Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Gnocchi with Bacon

Did you say you wanted something cheesy? Look no further than my Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Gnocchi topped with Bacon!

Inspired by a Mac and Cheese recipe I saw, I decided to use gnocchi instead. This is another great weeknight dinner. Start by pre-heating the broiler to high. While the broiler heats up, cook the bacon and start the water boiling for the gnocchi (or macaroni if you want to go that route).

The rest of the recipe is below. I hope you will make my Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Gnocchi with Bacon.

Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Gnocchi with Bacon

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By Patrick Dulmage Serves: 6-8
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes

Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Gnocchi with Bacon

Ingredients

  • 17.5 oz pkg gnocchi (DeCecco preferred)
  • 3 cups chopped broccoli florets
  • 3-6 slices bacon, chopped
  • 12-16 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
  • 1/8 tsp turmeric
  • 1 1/4 cups low fat milk
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 4 oz Gruyère cheese, grated
  • 4 oz Cheddar cheese, grated

Instructions

1

Pre-heat the broiler to high

2

Cook the gnocchi according to package directions and set aside

3

Cook the broccoli in the same salted water as the gnocchi

4

While the gnocchi and broccoli are cooking, cook the bacon in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat

5

Once the bacon is cooked, remove with a slotted spoon and leave about 1 1/2 of the drippings to cook the chicken

6

Add the chicken to the pan and cook about 4 minutes. Make sure to flip the pieces so they brown on all sides

7

Add the garlic and turmeric and cook another minute or two

8

Combine the milk and chicken stock, then add to the pan

9

Season with some salt and pepper (if your chicken stock has a lot of salt, you may not need to add any additional)

10

Bring to a boil, add the cheese (reserve some for topping) and broccoli

11

Once the cheese has melted and coated everything, add the gnocchi

12

Give it one last stir, top with remaining cheese and put under the broiler until golden brown and bubbly

13

Top with the chopped bacon and serve

Casserole/ Chicken

One-Pan Chicken Tortellini Alfredo

On the menu tonight – Chicken Tortellini Alfredo!

If you are looking for something that doesn’t take too long to make AND doesn’t dirty too many pots and pans this is it! You probably already have some tortellini and chicken in your freezer. If the chicken is thawed, you can make this meal in about 30 minutes.

The chicken is tender and juicy. The combination of the chicken, cheese sauce, and tortellini is fantastic. Whatever you do, don’t leave out the nutmeg, it adds that little extra layer of flavor making people wonder what that flavor is.

Keep this recipe handy for your quick, week-night dinners. I hope you will try it and let me know how it turns out for you.

One-Pan Chicken Tortellini Alfredo

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By Patrick Dulmage Serves: 6-8
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes

One-Pan Chicken Tortellini Alfredo

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (half and half would work too)
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 pinches nutmeg (freshly grated is preferred)
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 18 oz pkg cheese tortellini (you could also use other varieties like mushroom or spinach)
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces (chicken thighs would also be great)
  • 1/2 - 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees

2

Heat the heavy cream, butter, nutmeg, shallot, and one cup of the Parmesan cheese in a large cast iron skillet

3

Whisk until the butter and cheese are melted, about 4 minutes

4

Add the tortellini and simmer until they are cooked through, about 5 minutes

5

Add the chicken and mix to combine

6

Add the rest of the Parmesan cheese on top and then put in the oven

7

Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the top starts to get browned, about 12 minutes

8

Once baked, let it rest about 10 minutes before serving

9

Garnish with the fresh parsley or green onions

Casserole/ Chicken

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

On the menu tonight, Chicken Tortilla Casserole!

This dish couldn’t be easier. If you use a rotisserie chicken, you can have this casserole done in about 40 minutes. Simply pre-heat the oven, put all the ingredients in a large bowl, and mix to combine. Bake for about 20 minutes, then pull from the oven to top with cheese and bake another 10-15 minutes. That’s IT!

Garnish with some chopped red onion, cilantro, sour cream and you have dinner!

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

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By Patrick Dulmage Serves: 10-12
Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 35 minutes

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

Ingredients

  • 5-6 cups cooked chicken (about 1 whole chicken)
  • 3/4 red onion, diced
  • 8 oz Monterey Jack Cheese, grated
  • 2 10 oz cans Rotel tomatoes
  • 1 10 oz canned or frozen corn
  • 1 15 oz can black beans
  • 12 corn tortillas (taco size), quartered
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped

Instructions

1

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

2

Add the chicken, tortillas, tomatoes, beans, corn, spices, half of the diced onions, and half of the grated cheese to a large mixing bowl.

3

Mix to combine.

4

Add to a greased 13x9 baking dish and put in the oven.

5

Bake for 20 minutes, uncovered.

6

After 20 minutes, take out of the oven, raise the temp of the oven to 400 degrees, cover with the rest of the grated cheese.

7

Bake for another 10-15 minutes.

8

Garnish with the rest of the diced onion, cilantro, and dollops of sour cream.

Casserole/ Leftovers/ Vegetarian

Breakfast Casserole from Leftover Stuffing

I wasn’t sure what else to do with my leftover Thanksgiving stuffing. Don’t get me wrong, I can eat leftover stuffing for a while and not get tired of it. But each year, I seem to make a few metric tons of stuffing and eventually you have to do something creative with the leftovers.

This is a great recipe to make either for a crowd and/or for some pre-made meals for the week ahead when you don’t have time to make breakfast before leaving for work. The best part about this recipe is you have already done most of the work!

The only ingredients are your leftover stuffing, eggs, a little milk (optional), cheese, and some chopped green onions. Of course, you can always add whatever else you may want. So, the next time you need to feed a crowd for breakfast, consider this breakfast casserole!

Breakfast Casserole from Leftover Stuffing

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By Patrick Dulmage Serves: 10-12
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 40 minutes Total Time: 50 minutes

Breakfast Casserole from Leftover Stuffing

Ingredients

  • Leftover stuffing
  • 10-12 eggs
  • 1/4-1/2 cup milk
  • 6-8 oz cheddar cheese, grated
  • 4-6 green onions, chopped. I use the white part in the casserole and the green part for garnish
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees

2

Break up the stuffing into a baking dish

3

Scramble the eggs in a large bowl and whisk in the milk

4

Pour the eggs into the baking dish

5

Sprinkle the chopped green onions and cheese over the stuffing

6

Bake until the eggs are cooked through, about 25 -30 minutes, depending on how much leftover stuffing you had and how deep your dish is

Notes

You could also use a cupcake pan to make individual breakfast muffins

Casserole/ Side Dishes/ Thanksgiving/ Vegetarian

Stuffed Mushroom Casserole

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, so I wanted to try out some new recipes for the big day. I love stuffed mushrooms, but I don’t love the time it takes to stuff all those little caps. With this dish, you just have to quarter the mushrooms and cook them in a skillet along with the “filling”. Once cooked, top with some seasoned buttered panko and then bake.

Stuffed Mushroom Casserole

This version is stuffed with seasoned panko, but you could use the same fillings you would use in traditional stuffed mushrooms. The next time I make this dish, I’ll probably do a spinach and artichoke mixture. Sausage would be another great filling.

The best part about this dish is that it goes together really quickly, leaving you more time to spend with your family. Once you try this dish, it is sure to become a mainstay in your Thanksgiving repertoire.

Stuffed Mushroom Casserole

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By Patrick Dulmage Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 35 minutes Total Time: 50 minutes

Stuffed Mushroom Casserole

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb medium white button mushrooms, quartered
  • 1/2 lb medium baby bella mushrooms, quartered
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
  • 4 oz. cream cheese, cut into cubes
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp butter, melted

Instructions

1

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

2

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat

3

Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper to taste. Cook about 7-8 minutes

4

Add the garlic, cook another minute, then stir in the cream cheese and cook until melted

5

Add the mozzarella, 1/2 cup of the panko, and 1/4 cup of Parmesan

6

Stir to combine, then transfer to an 8 inch baking dish

7

In a medium bowl, combine the remaining panko, parmesan, and the melted butter

8

Sprinkle the mixture over the mushrooms and bake until the breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 30 minutes

Notes

This is one of those recipes you can take a million different directions. It's fantastic as described here, but you could add sausage to the mix, or spinach and artichokes. Whatever version of stuffed mushrooms you like can make as a casserole.

Casserole/ Chicken

Chicken Pot Pie

On the menu today – Chicken Pot Pie!

I was craving some good ole comfort food today and Chicken Pot Pie has GOT to be in the top two or three for comfort food. I tried something different this time with the crust. Instead of puff pastry or pie dough, I used flakey biscuits. With the cooked biscuits split, I used the bottoms on the bottom of the baking dish and the tops for the top.

Making dough isn’t one of my favorite things to do, so I decided to try using biscuits instead. I think it turned out really well. The filling it out of this world. I used chicken thighs, which I think have more flavor than the breast meat. The thighs were baked seasoned with salt and pepper – that’s it. The rest of the filling comes together really quickly.

With the weather getting cooler, you need to get those comfort food recipes out. I hope you will try my version the next time you make chicken pot pie. Let me know how it turns out.

Chicken Pot Pie

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By Patrick Dulmage Serves: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

  • 2lb boneless, skin-less chicken thighs, cooked and cubed (You can use breast meat if you like. Cook it yourself or use a rotisserie chicken)
  • 1 medium Vidalia onion, diced
  • 2 ribs of celery, diced (the center portion of the celery would be good too)
  • 1 can cream of celery soup (feel free to substitute cream of chicken)
  • 1 bag frozen peas and carrots
  • 1 12 oz can evaporated milk (you could use whole milk)
  • 1 cup chicken stock (I like Better Than Bullion)
  • 1 tbs fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tube flakey biscuits
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1

Pre-heat a large sauce pan over medium heat with olive oil

2

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees

3

Add the onion and celery and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes

4

Put the biscuits in the oven for 15 minutes

5

In a large measuring cup, heat the chicken stock and evaporated milk in the microwave, about 2 minutes

6

Add the flour to the onions and celery, mix to combine and cook 1-2 minutes

7

Add the butter, mix to combine

8

Slowly pour in the chicken stock and milk, stir to combine

9

Let the mixture come to a boil and then lower the heat, continuously stirring as it thickens

10

Add the frozen peas and carrots, mix to combine and cut the heat

11

Add the cooked chicken and parsley, then mix to combine

12

In a 13x9 baking dish put a layer of the biscuit bottoms down

13

Pour the chicken mixture into the baking dish and top with the biscuit tops

14

Serve immediately