Chick-A-Lickin' Casserole

Ingredients:

2 large or 3 small skinless/boneless chicken breast fillets

65g of Pancetta or cubed Danish bacon

125g (4.4oz) of long grain rice

½ cup of frozen petit pois or garden peas

1 cup of frozen sweetcorn

¼ of a large onion (diced)

½ tsp. celery salt

½ tsp. paprika

½ tsp. onion granules or onion salt

½ tsp. garlic granules or garlic salt

½ tsp. dried parsley

½ tsp. cracked black pepper

1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

2 Tbsp. water

1 can of Campbell's or Erin condensed cream of mushroom soup

150ml (5.3 oz) of sour cream

150g (5.3 oz) of grated cheddar

1 large mixing bowl

1 casserole dish

This is a simple little casserole I threw together about 7 or 8 years ago & we still end up having it about once every month or two.  It’s great if you’re in a hurry but want a nice wholesome dinner that everyone will like.  It’s creamy & delicious comfort food.  It was the first ‘grown-up’ dinner I gave my son when he got old enough to eat the same foods we were eating.  He instantly loved it & it’s so easy & filling.  We dubbed it ‘Chick-A-Lickin’ & he used to get so excited when I said he was getting some for dinner or lunch.  I sometimes make up the mixture during the day & put it in a covered bowl in the fridge.  When dinnertime gets closer, all I have to do is transfer it to a casserole dish, top it with cheese & bang it in the oven.

Method:

Poach chicken breasts in water until cooked & set aside to cool for handling.  Cook the rice & put into large mixing bowl.  (I often use a 65g sachet of boil-in-the bag rice as it’s handy.) Boil peas, corn & onion for 2 or 3 minutes, drain & put into mixing bowl.  Tear up the chicken into small pieces & add to mixing bowl.  Cook Pancetta in a pan & dump into mixing bowl.  Add all of the spices, the condensed soup (do not dilute with water), the Worcestershire, the sour cream & just 2 tablespoons of water to mixing bowl & stir everything together until mixed well.   Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish & cover the top with a good layer of grated cheddar cheese - about 150 grams.  Bake at 180 Celsius (356 F) for about 30 minutes until cheese bubbling & browning around the edges.  

This is satisfying & ‘more-ish’ every time.  Serve with your favourite bread (we’ve used Rosemary & Olive Oil Sourdough loaf here) & some steamed green vegetables or a salad.

The mixture

Just before the oven...

 Ready to serve

Enjoy!