Chicken Casserole With Mushrooms and Spinach
This casserole is chock full of delicious veggies with a homemade creamy base. Parmesan is mixed throughout the casserole and also melted on top, giving this dish some flair that’s more akin to a creamy risotto. Instead of relying on a condensed soup, this recipe makes a simple cream sauce: Flour is sprinkled on the cooked mushrooms and onions then heavy cream and chicken stock are whisked in just before the Parmesan is folded in. Be sure to season each layer of the casserole — from the spinach to chicken. For a shortcut, the meat from a rotisserie chicken works great here.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- ¼cup unsalted or salted butter
- ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1pound mushrooms, any variety, chopped
- 1small onion, chopped (1 cup)
- Salt and pepper
- ½cup all-purpose flour
- ½cup heavy cream
- 1cup chicken stock
- 2cups (6 ounces) finely shredded Parmesan
- 10ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained (or 16 ounces fresh spinach, chopped and sautéed)
- 1pound cooked chicken breast meat, coarsely shredded
- 4cups cooked rice, white or brown
Instructions
Step 1
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.Step 2
In a large skillet, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 10 minutes.Step 3
Sprinkle the flour on top and stir for 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream and chicken stock and bring to a boil, cooking for an additional 1 minute. Turn the heat off and stir in 1 cup of the Parmesan, reserving the remaining 1 cup of Parmesan.Step 4
Season the spinach with salt and pepper. Stir the seasoned spinach into the cream and mushrooms. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then add it to the spinach and mushroom mixture. Stir in the rice. Taste then add salt and pepper if needed.Step 5
Spread the mixture into a lightly greased 9-by13-inch broiler-safe baking dish. Bake until heated throughout, about 25 minutes. Remove the casserole and turn on the oven’s broiler.Step 6
Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of Parmesan in an even layer over the top of the baked casserole. Return the casserole to the top third of the oven and broil just until the Parmesan has melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Pay very close attention to ensure the Parmesan does not burn. Remove the casserole from the oven and allow it to sit for a few minutes before serving. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.