Chicken Casserole

Chicken Casserole Recipe

Ingredients:

• 6 large potatoes, cooked and sliced (fried potatoes work best)
  
• 4-5 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
  
• 1/4 cup butter
  
• 1 medium onion, chopped
  
• 4 tbsp. flour
  
• 4 cups chicken broth
  
• 4 tbsp. vinegar
  
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
  
• 3 tbsp butter
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Butter a large baking dish and arrange the cooked potatoes in the bottom of the dish. Top the potatoes with the cubed chicken. In a large skillet, melt the quarter cup of butter and cook the chopped onion until it is tender. Add the flour and whisk together, stirring continually for at least a minute or two. Add the chicken broth and vinegar to the onion mixture. Stir together with a whisk until thick. Lower the heat to simmer and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

Pour the onion mixture over the potatoes and chicken. Sprinkle evenly with the bread crumbs and drizzle the three tablespoons of melted butter. Bake for 15 minutes.

Experience
This recipe turned out to be a lot more work than I had anticipated it to be. Frying the potatoes took the longest. Overall, it took me an hour and a half to get from start to finish. I could have saved myself time by realizing that the sauce needed to simmer for 15 minutes. I had made the potatoes and chicken before starting the sauce. If I had made the sauce then worked on the potatoes and chicken, that would have saved at least fifteen minutes. Another thing I would do differently if I make this again would be to cut the potato slices in half. I had just sliced the potatoes and left the pieces in circles. Those proved to be difficult to eat. Overall, the chicken casserole tasted great and makes a lot! I was left with plenty of leftovers.

Origins: Casserole
The casserole started as a french dish consisting of rice and a chicken or bread mixture. It became part of the English repertoire in the early 18th century. Over time, the dish evolved to include noodles or potatoes instead of rice and any cut of meat. A defining feature of the casserole is that it is served in the same dish it is made in. The casserole became popular during the Great Depression because it is a cheap dish that feeds many people.