I don’t know about you, but I am always on the lookout for new casseroles. Casseroles are such versatile dishes. They make great dinners on busy weeknights. They are champions of the game-day buffet table. Potlucks would never take place without them. Nor would church socials, office parties and family reunions. So it helps to have a really good casserole recipe or two up your sleeve.

This is one of those recipes. Not only is it wonderfully flavorful as it is written, but it is incredibly versatile. You can change out any or all of the ingredients for whatever you fancy or have on hand. But keep the onions, they make the dish Just be sure to write down what you used, so you can duplicate it, if you like, in the future!

 

INGREDIENTS

1 medium yellow onion, diced

4 oz. cremini or baby Portobello mushrooms, chopped

10.75 oz. can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1¼ cups half and half

Pinch of kosher salt

¼ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp garlic powder

10 slices bacon, diced (divided)

2 cups cooked and shredded chicken (leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken work great for this)

1 cup frozen peas

12 oz. extra wide egg noodles, cooked 1 minute shy of al dente and drained

½ cup shredded Colby cheese, (divided)

2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, (divided)

½ cup shredded parmesan cheese, (divided)

4 oz. French’s Crispy Fried Onions, (divided)

 

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9×13″ baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a skillet, cook diced bacon over MED heat until golden and crispy.  Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the drippings.  Add diced onion and chopped mushrooms to bacon drippings and cook over MED HIGH heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, about 5 minutes.  Remove with slotted spoon to a large mixing bowl. Add cream of chicken soup, sour cream, half and half, salt, black pepper and garlic powder.  Whisk or stir until smooth.  Add shredded chicken, 2/3 of the cooked bacon, frozen peas, 2 oz. of the French’s crispy fried onions, most of the shredded cheeses (reserving a few Tablespoons of each type), and cooked egg noodles.

Gently stir to combine well, then transfer to prepared baking dish.  Top with remaining cheeses and remaining bacon.  Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.  Remove foil, add remaining 2 oz. French’s crispy fried onions in an even layer, and bake an additional 5-7 minutes, until onions are lightly golden brown. Sprinkle casserole with minced parsley, if desired, and serve hot.

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Quick Tip:  Don’t be afraid to play with different spices in this recipe. Tarragon goes quite well with chicken. Smoked paprika will give you a unique savory taste. Your imagination is your only limit!

Recipe and image courtesy of Amanda at The Chunky Chef