Easy Chicken Comfort Casserole

As soon as August rolls around, there’s something in the air that screams cozy, comforting meals. Maybe it’s the subtle shift from summer’s heat to the promise of fall, but I find myself craving casseroles and pumpkin muffins the moment the calendar flips to August 1st. This year, I stumbled across a gem of a recipe on Jenna’s delightful blog, The Painted Apron, called the Easy Chicken Comfort Casserole. With “comfort” in the title, I knew it was destined to become a staple in my kitchen. However, I couldn’t help but tweak it to make it even more practical and waste-free. Here’s how I turned this recipe into a hearty, no-fuss dish that’s perfect for those early August evenings.

The original recipe called for a small can of refrigerated biscuits, but it only used four out of five, leaving one lonely biscuit behind. It also used just half a can of cream of chicken soup, which, let’s be honest, often means tossing the other half because who has time to store half a can of condensed soup? With food prices climbing, I wanted a version that used every ingredient to its fullest. So, I swapped the 8x8-inch pan for a 1.5-quart casserole dish, used all five biscuits, the entire can of soup, and even tossed in half a cup of peas for a built-in veggie boost. The result? A creamy, cheesy, savory casserole that’s as economical as it is delicious.

Here’s my adapted version of the Easy Chicken Comfort Casserole, perfect for a cozy family dinner or a make-ahead meal.

Easy Chicken Comfort Casserole

  1½ c. cooked, chopped chicken
1 (10.75-oz) can Cream of Chicken Soup 
½ c. sour cream
½ c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided 
½ c. frozen peas 
1 T. dry Ranch dressing mix 
3-4 strips cooked bacon, crumbled 
2 green onions, chopped, divided 
1 small can (5 count) refrigerated biscuit dough 

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray a 1.5-quart casserole dish with PAM.

Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces and arrange evenly in the bottom of the dish.

In a large bowl, mix chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, peas, ¾ of the shredded cheese, ¾ of the green onions, and Ranch dressing mix until well combined.

 Pour the chicken mixture over the biscuits, pressing it down gently to fill in around the biscuit pieces.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Bake for 25-35 minutes, until the casserole is bubbly and the biscuits are golden brown.

Garnish with remaining green onions and crumbled bacon before serving. 

**Tips**
This casserole can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated for baking later in the day. 

Feel free to swap peas for your favorite veggie, like carrots or broccoli, for a personalized touch.

Serve with a simple side salad for a complete meal. 

This dish is everything I love about August cooking: warm, comforting, and easy to pull together with pantry staples. The biscuits bake up fluffy, soaking up the creamy chicken mixture, while the bacon and green onions add just the right amount of crunch and zing. Plus, using the full can of soup and all five biscuits means no waste—just pure, home-cooked goodness.

What’s your go-to comfort food when August hits? Let me know in the comments, and happy cooking!

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Crunchy Beef Bake

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What is the first thing that comes to mind when I say the words “comfort food?“ Don’t over think it, what is first thing that popped in your head? For me, it’s noodles. Any kind of noodle, I’m not picky, and it’s even better if that noodle happens to be baked into a casserole. It can be spaghetti noodles like in Baked Spaghetti, egg noodles as in this Comforting Chicken Noodle Casserole, rotini noodles as in this ultra delicious and ever-so-comforting, Pimiento Mac and Cheese, even chow mein noodles as I use in Oriental Beef Casserole. It doesn’t matter the kind, I just have to have noodles for true comfort, and if I want to maximize that, I also need ground beef.

This was of great comfort to me today. It was easy to put together, tasty and satisfying, and the extra crunch from those French fried onions was most welcome. This is the kind of food that we all need during difficult times, no matter what is causing those difficulties. My son and his family tried this, and it was thumbs up all around. Kid friendly, family-friendly, comforting and tasty, really, what more do you really need?

Crunchy Beef Bake

6-oz. campanelle pasta*
1 lb. ground chuck
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 (14.5-oz.) can petite diced tomatoes
1 (6-oz.) can French fried onions
¾ c. shredded cheddar cheese
½ c. shredded mozzarella cheese
¾ t. Montreal Steak Seasoning
½ c. beef stock
½ c. freshly brewed black coffee

Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a two-quart casserole dish with PAM; set aside.

Prepare pasta as directed on box. While pasta is cooking, brown ground chuck; drain. Combine all ingredients except onions. Pour half of the beef/pasta mixture into the casserole dish. Scatter 1/2 of the can of onions evenly over mixture. Add remaining beef/pasta mixture. Cover and bake for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and top with remaining onions. Bake, uncovered, an additional 5-7 minutes.

*Or an equal amount of whatever noodle you have on hand.

Coca-Cola Short Ribs

I am not a soda drinker, but Mr. O-P loved it. So much so, that, when he passed away, I was left with a refrigerator full of cans of soda of various varieties. Because I don't drink it, and hesitate to offer it to the frequent young people I have visiting, I decided the best way to use it was to cook with it.

It's surprising how many different varieties of sodas are used in cooking. In the past I've made Root Beer Pulled Pork, 7-Up Biscuits, Coca-Cola Meatloaf, Coca-Cola Cake, and today I made the most flavorful and tender short ribs on the planet using, once again, a can of Coke.

This recipe could not be simpler. Essentially, 1 to 2 pounds of short ribs are put into the bottom of a crockpot, a bag of dry onion soup mix is sprinkled on top, and then you pour a can of Coca-Cola over it. That's it, just let it hang out on low all day long, enjoy the aroma as it wafts through the house, and wait until dinner.

During the last hour of cooking, because I wanted my entire meal in the crockpot, I threw in a handful of Melissa's Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes, mushrooms, quartered onions, and baby carrots. That's all I did, and I had an excellent meal.

If you need a printable recipe, I'll do my best to provide you with one below. Really, though, this is one that can just be committed to memory.

Coca-Cola Short Ribs

1 to 2 pounds boneless short ribs
1 packet Lipton Dry Onion Soup Mix
1 12-oz. can Coca-Cola (NOT diet)

Various Vegetables to your liking

  Place short ribs into the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle onion soup mix on top, and cover all with the Coca-Cola. Set crockpot to “low,” and cook until tender, 6 to 7 hours. During the last hour of cooking, add vegetables (potatoes, carrots, onions, mushrooms, or anything to your liking). When vegetables are fork tender, serve.

PRINT RECIPE

This post is linked to: Inspire Me Tuesday, Tuesdays At Our Home,Celebrate Your Story, Homemaking Party Tuesday, Wow Us Wednesday,  Wine’d Down Wednesday, Wake up Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Share Your Style, Coffee and Conversation, and Foodie Friday & Everything Else

Haystacks & Distressing Days

When I was a little girl, and when I was good (which, let's face it, was pretty darned often, I was a gem of a child), my mother used to make haystacks for me. I loved the chocolate and the crunch, and particularly loved that there was no baking and I could help out. The waiting for them to harden was often more than I could bear, but it was well worth it for the end result. I was thinking about these the other day when I was making another family favorite, Oriental Beef Casserole, lamenting the fact that I'd purchased a gigantic bag of chow mein noodles in order to take advantage of a sale.

So, in my continuing celebration of National Candy Month, today I made haystacks. I remember them being very sweet in my youth, largely, I think because of the overwhelming sweetness of the butterscotch chips. So I decided to make mine with semisweet chocolate chips alone, and add some brickle bits to get added crunch, and a bit of a toffee taste, without being cloying. Can you say winner? These are great. Now I'm thinking I may just need another bag of these noodles.

This is a great candy to make with the kids during the summer. Keep them in the fridge for a cool and crunchy snack.

There are variations to suit all tastes, so consider replacing the toffee bits with cocoa nibs, crumbled Clean Snax, mini chocolate chips, crushed espresso beans, or a special addition of your own.

Haystacks

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chow mein noodles

1/2 cup salted peanuts

2 tablespoons brickle bits

In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate and butterscotch chips, at 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth. Stir in chow mein noodles, peanuts, and brickle bits until well coated.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a waxed paper or Silpat-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Yield: 8 clusters. Feel free to double, triple, quadruple…you get the picture.

I am taking a bit of a blog break. Thanks to the many of you who have written me notes and messages asking if I am all right.  Yesterday, Mr. O-P entered Hospice Care. It was a tough day. He has been ill for nearly three years now, and it has been a difficult road for us both. I need to take a bit of a break in order to get sleep. This week I have only had a combined 6 hours and am literally stumbling from exhaustion. I have also managed to lose 14 pounds in the past two weeks, so obviously I am not cooking or eating my good food.

As things settle, I will return. This blog and the entire blogging community have been great solace to me, and I find such peace and comfort in taking part.

Love to all and keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

This post is linked to: Full Plate Thursday, Simple and Sweet Fridays, and Foodie Friday & Everything Else

Brown Sugar Smokies

There was some tasty food at dad’s birthday dinner, and not all of it was made by me.  Thank goodness many capable hands pitched in to help, one of which was my daughter-in-law, Emma, who contributed a batch of Brown Sugar Smokies.  These are really good.  I had to claw my way to the tray to grab one before they were inhaled by the guests.

Here is Emma standing by the little convection oven waiting for her creation to be ready to serve.

The basic recipe is below, but Emma makes these extra special by tweaking the original in the following ways:

1. Use Farmland Maple Bacon.

2. Cut the bacon, dip it in the brown sugar, and then wrap it around the smokies.

3. Secure them with toothpicks, and place into a large bowl.

4. Drizzle with maple syrup.

5. Sprinkle them with brown sugar before placing into the oven, and then again about halfway through cooking.

Brown Sugar Smokies

1 pound bacon

1 (16-ounce) package little smokie sausages

1 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cut bacon into thirds and wrap each strip around a little sausage. Secure the wrapped sausages on wooden toothpicks, arrange on a baking sheet, and sprinkle them liberally with brown sugar.

Bake until bacon is crisp and the brown sugar melted (about 30 minutes). 

This post is linked to:

Full Plate Thursday

Create It Thursday

Show and Tell Friday 

Happy Birthday Dad! (and a Recipe)

Last Sunday I had a party to celebrate my dad's ninetieth birthday. Trying to comprehend ninety alone is quite a feat, but so was planning and executing a party. I made it simple: twenty guests, buffet style, tried-and-true recipes that are known crowd pleasers. Easy, right?  Well, yes, fairly easy, but no matter how many parties I give (and it has been an amount quite considerable), I am always struck (more accurately, struck down) by how much work it is.

I am a planner. I make lists. I make schedules. I prepare make-ahead dishes the day before. I fold napkins in advance. I set the tables the day prior. But time after time I still end up facing massive cleanup and borderline collapse.

There are rewards, though, and lots of them. Lively conversation and raucous laughter, serving dishes scraped clean, small and perhaps picky children telling me how delicious the food is, and a guest of honor who is overwhelmed and pleased. Success!

The exhaustion is always well worth it, as is the exasperation, the anguish, and the lumps and bumps taken during the process.  It appears the industrial-sized bag of Oreos that beaned me when they fell from the top shelf of the pantry onto my head did not concuss me. It looks like the wine that I poured on myself while making the Sangria did permanently stain a favorite, old shirt, but think of the fancy dust rags I now have - beaded! The smell of beef is no longer evident in the garage from my spilling meat juices onto the floor both putting the meat into and taking it out of the fridge. Good news, indeed.

Here is my menu with links to the recipes, where available.

Blushing Sangria

Superior Pecan Spread

Brown Sugar Smokies (Courtesy of my daughter-in-law)

“Outstanding” Beef Brisket

Pattie’s “Masterpiece” Baked Beans

Party Potatoes (recipe below)

Cole Slaw (from the deli)

Deviled Eggs (Courtesy of my aunt)

Bread Assortment

Cake (Courtesy of our friend, Lennie)

It takes a village.

Party Potatoes (or Company Potatoes, or Potato Casserole, depending upon the region from which you hail) has been around since the seventies. My mother gave me this recipe. I still have the original, written on the back of an envelope in pencil that has seriously faded. I thought everyone had this, but as I got requests after the party, I thought I would share it here. It is largely a bunch of prepackaged stuff dumped into a bowl and topped with cornflakes, but, boy is it good.

 If you are preparing for a party (or recuperating from having given one), keep these recipes in mind, and treat yourself as well as your guests by making it simple and casual (and keep the Sangria close at hand!). 

These white trays (with matching mugs and flatware) were purchased by my mother, queen of parties, back in the seventies. Oh, the parties they have seen! If you ever see something similar, buy them! They are perfect for casual buffets with sections for holding flatware, a notched section for holding a cup, and lots of separated space for food. I am proud to be their new owner.

Party Potato Casserole

1 (10.75-ounce) can Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

6 T. butter, melted

1 (32-ounce) package frozen hash-brown potatoes

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (8-ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese

Ground black pepper

1/2 cup crushed corn flakes

2 T. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix soup, sour cream, butter, potatoes, onion, cheese, and black pepper (to taste), and turn into a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Toss together the 2 Tablespoons of melted butter and the corn flakes. Sprinkle corn flakes over potato mixture.  Bake for 45 minutes or until hot.

This post is linked to:

Mosaic Monday

Full Plate Thursday

Foodie Friday

Mother's Day Brunch Ideas

 

If you’re stymied as to what to make mom for breakfast this Sunday, here are a couple of ideas for you that range from super easy to a bit more complex.  One thing is for certain, no matter what you make for mom, it is a meal she will both remember and appreciate.

I think the meal I remember the most was when my two boys, then ages about 8 and 11, decided to make me breakfast.  The thought of thawing the bacon (that we kept in the freezer) the night before had never occurred to them, so they each took turns sitting on it until it thawed enough to make the strips separable.  I’m sure they thought the entire meal was a disaster; I thought it a complete delight.  Here is a picture of those two rascals, along with their cousin Scott (at left). 

For more information about the above dishes, please click on the links below.  They are (clockwise from upper left):

Six-Layer Quiche

Cherry Tomatoes with Avocado Cream

Baked Egg Custard with Gruyere and Chives

Breakfast Guacamole

P, B & J Pancakes

Pecan Chocolate Espresso Coffeecake

This post is linked to:

Clever Chicks Blog Hop

Show and Tell Friday 

Foodie Friday

Home Sweet Home

Be Inspired Friday

Happy Thanksgiving!

Window shopping at Williams-Sonoma always helps to get me in the mood.

For the first time in over twenty-five years I won't be hosting the Thanksgiving dinner in my home. Instead, I'm carting my portion of the meal to my parents' house where I'll be joined by other members of the family, their contributions in tow, to celebrate on a less grander scale and without the company of my mother who, while improving, continues to reside for the moment in a skilled nursing center. While I'm not certain how I feel about all of this, I am grateful that the family may be a bit battered and bruised, but we're all still here. I hope you all have a Thanksgiving filled with family, good food, lots of love, and gratitude.

Happy Thanksgiving!