chicken, broccoli+stuffing casserole

It’s that time of year! Thanksgiving! There are so many yummy foods at Thanksgiving dinner, and you know what that means, lots of great leftovers! This dish is adapted from Dan’s aunt's recipe which has been a big hit in our house since I started making it years ago. I make this year round with stove-top and chicken, but I’m sharing it this week, because it can easily been thrown together with your delicious Thanksgiving leftovers. Don’t worry if your measurements aren’t exact as this recipe is very flexible with the ratios. This casserole is sure to be a cozy, crowd pleaser.

(I’ll share it as the recipe calls first, and then list your leftover option).

Oven temp: 350 degrees Bake time: 40-45 minutes Servings: Fills a 13X9 dish or large casserole dish (I often have overflow as well which I put into a smaller casserole dish. It just depends on your ratios)

Ingredients: 2.5-3 pounds cooked chicken shredded (options- 3-4 chicken breasts, 1 rotisserie chicken taken off the bones, or leftover turkey.) 2 cans cream of chicken 2 cans cream of celery 2 cans milk (use the soup cans for measurements) 1/2 cup chopped onion (sautéed) 1/2 cup chopped celery (sautéed) 2.5 cups cooked broccoli (this is usually 2-3 broccoli crowns. You can also use a large bag of frozen broccoli) 1/4 to 1/2 large box of velveeta cheese (use amount of cheese to your preference) 3 boxes of stovetop stuffing (made) (or use leftover Thanksgiving stuffing. You can use more or less depending on how much you have, but you’ll want to have enough to spread atop your casserole)

1. Cook your chicken, broccoli and stuffing.

2. Make your soup mixture

   1. sauté your onions and celery in olive oil or butter (about 1/2 to 1 TBSP)

   2. Add the cans of soup and milk

3. slice your velveeta into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices

Prepare your pan

1. spray your casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray

2. Add the broccoli to the bottom of the dish

3. layer on your chicken

4. pour the soup mixture over the broccoli and chicken

5. Add the Velveeta cheese slices

6. Spread your stuffing on top

7. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees. If you like it really crispy, bake uncovered. If you want it a little softer, bake 20 minutes covered with foil and 20 minutes uncovered.

8. We usually eat this as is, but it can also be served atop noodles or rice.

*special notes. As you can see this recipe has a lot of steps and to be honest is time consuming, but it is a great one to make ahead and bake later. I will often make it, refridgerate it and then bake a day or two later.