Chicken, Leek, and Mushroom Casserole
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Martha Stewart Living, January
- Yield Serves 6
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Ingredients
- 1 1/3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 large)
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 leek, white and pale-green parts only, coarsely chopped and rinsed well
- 1 celery stalk, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 10 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved if large
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons dry sherry
- 2 1/4 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 8 slices dense multigrain bread, crusts removed, slices cut into triangles
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook until golden brown on 1 side, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip, reduce heat to medium, and cook until cooked through, about 10 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate, and return pan, with drippings, to medium heat.
- Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in pan. Add leek, celery, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are golden brown and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. (Reduce heat if vegetables brown too quickly.) Stir in flour, and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add sherry, stock, milk, and bay leaf, and cook, scraping up browned bits from bottom, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Discard bay leaf.
- Arrange bread on bottom of a 2-quart oval baking dish, overlapping slices slightly. Spoon half of the vegetables and sauce over bread. Slice chicken crosswise, 1/2 inch thick, and arrange on bread. Top with any accumulated juices from chicken. Spread remaining vegetables and sauce over chicken, sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan, and bake until golden brown and bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
In my previous post, when I was talking about adding the herbs towards the end, I mistakenly left out chopping up some sage in there as well. In fact, use more sage than any of the other 3 (in my opinion) as sage really brings home the whole "chicken and stuffing" smells! Either add them when you add the wet ingredients or just a minute before you're done thickening the sauce and discarding the bay leaf. Hope that helps! And fresh herbs ONLY, folks!
Nice, simple to make casserole recipe with a bit of a twist from the norm. I used a hearty, sprouted wheat bread and it maintained it shape and provided a good base, still with some nice, stiff crusts in there. Perhaps lightly toasting the crusts would help this even more? Also tossed in some fresh oregano, thyme & rosemary chopped up at the end (about 5 minutes after adding the wet ingredients) which really gave this kind of a roast chicken & stuffing smell that made the kitchen smell great!
This recipe is a family favorite. I have a some what picky eater and he requests this dish frequently. A definite keeper!!!! Takes no time to make.
I made this for a party, and it was a huge hit. I substituted I box of cooked long grain & wild rice for the bread, and it turned out really well. Also, since I was making 4 casseroles, I poached the chicken in water instead of sauteing it, since I could cook a large quantity much more quickly. This really worked well too.
My family really enjoyed this dish except for the bread ingredient. I used a multigrain loaf as instructed and it still came out gummy. So the next time I make it, I will not include the bread in the casserole but just serve it separately once the meal is done and on the table.