I am still making casseroles for dinner.  This one took a bit more effort as I had to boil the chicken first.  I decided to actually boil an extra serving of chicken so that I would have the chicken cooked for the next casserole.  I am trying to plan ahead to keep things as simple as possible during this holiday season.

I found a recipe on Pinterest for Garlicy Chicken Casserole from Just a Pinch.com.  The original recipe contained “cream of soups” so I had to do some creative substitutions but just about everything else I had on hand.

Verdict:

This was a hands down, lick your plate clean, hit.   Both kids took this for lunch the next day.  It was REALLY garlicy but flavorful and creamy.  I served it over baby red potatoes but you could serve it over rice or egg noodles.  Whatever you prefer.

I served the casserole with baby red potatoes and a side of green beans.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. chicken breasts
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 16 oz sour cream
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 to 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder, more to taste
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 4 TBSP butter, melted
• 1 sleeve crushed round butter crackers

Directions:

1. Place chicken breasts, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp ground black pepper  in a large pan.  Cover chicken breasts with water.  Bring chicken to a simmer over medium – high heat.  Once chicken begins to simmer reduce heat to keep chicken at a slow simmer for 25 minutes.
2. Remove chicken from pan once it is cooked through.  Let cool and cut into bite size chunks.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray.
4. In a large bowl mix sour cream, mayonnaise, chicken stock, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.  Once this is thoroughly mixed add the chicken pieces and cheese to the bowl and stir until well combined.  Taste mixture for spices.  I added more garlic because we LOVE garlic.  Adjust to your liking.
5. In another bowl stir melted butter and crushed butter crackers until well mixed.
6. Spread chicken mixture in a prepared casserole dish.  Sprinkle top with cracker mixture.
7. Bake for 30 minutes until bubbly and brown.  Let casserole sit for 3-5 minutes before serving.