I started out with a request for “stuffing/dressing” and found a Bittman recipe that I will try the next time because I had plenty of Boudin Sourdough stuffing, but with a bit of change here and there I am sure that Bittman’s bread stuffing would work for this comfort food dish I do prefer the bread cubes though. Find the link here:

https://markbittman.com/recipes-1/my-favorite-bread-stuffing

Well back to a bit of chilly weekend so I planned a rather easy dish for a cozy chilly night a new to me casserole dish of which I have very few of in my cooking repertoire. The casserole with chicken can be found all over the internet so I thought of giving it a try with a few adaptations of my own.

Michael loves the Boudin sourdough stuffing that I buy, but you probably can use whatever dry stuffing mix that you prefer and add your special stuffing/dressing ingredients for me sautéed celery and onion went into the mix along with some fresh parsley, thyme, and glorious melted butter…Once again I took advantage of a rotisserie chicken which is still $4.99 and we get at least 2 dinners and a lovely chicken salad or sandwiches for lunches. Double the recipe to feed a few more friends…

6-8 ounces herbed Boudin Sourdough cubed stuffing
1+1/2 cups diced celery
1/2 cup small diced onion
6-8 tablespoons melted butter

Seasonings that I added to the chicken and sauce are fresh parsley, thyme, pinches of Cajun seasoning, a dash of Season’s All, and dried chives, but feel free to add spices and herbs of your choice to make it your own as well as changing up your “cream of sumpin’” soups…I chose less salt cream of chicken and mushroom soups versus making my own (I am out of freezer space) may the cooking world forgive me, but I am still on limited time on my feet or as I call it gimping right along.

Usually, I would make the cream of sumpin’ soups, (small Campbells-sized cans) but given my restrictions, we find it all in the soup aisle…

• 2-2 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
• 1/2 can cream of mushroom soup and 1/2 can of cream of chicken or celery soup
• Your favorite herbs and seasonings…mine were chives, parsley, thyme, creole seasoning 
• I also sprinkled in a bit of poultry seasoning and Cajun seasoning
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, melted
• 6 ounces of Boudin herb cubed dry stuffing mix
  
  
  
• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Butter a 9×9 baking or casserole dish
• In a large bowl, whisk together condensed soups and milk. Stir in cooked chicken and season as you wish
  Butter a 9×9 baking dish or casserole dish
• Add the creamy chicken mixture to the prepared baking dish.
• Melt the butter in a measuring cup and place in the microwave for 1 minute or until the butter is completely melted. Pour melted butter over the stuffing mix and stir until all of the cubes are coated with butter. I let mine mix sit for several minutes and stir now and then so that all of the butter is absorbed. Sprinkle the buttered stuffing over the chicken mixture.
• Cover the dish with non-stick foil or the casserole lid and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove foil or lid and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken layer is hot and bubbly and browned on top.

Make Ahead

• This is a great make-ahead dinner. You can assemble the casserole up to 24 hours in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake. When ready to bake, allow the dish to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for at least 30-60 minutes.
• You can freeze the casserole before baking. Wrapped tightly, the assembled casserole will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
• Thaw a frozen casserole in the refrigerator overnight and bake according to the recipe instructions. If the dish is still cool when it goes into the oven, you will likely need to increase the total baking time.