Casserole Crazy!

Every year I like to buy a new recipe book to try out some new recipes. One year I bought a soup cookbook, another year I bought a salad one. Both turned out to have awesome recipes that I continue to use. This year I'm testing out a casserole cookbook. I figure it'll be good to have some "go to" meals I can freeze, and it never hurts to have a tasty dish to bring to a potluck!

When I make large meals, such as casseroles, my hubby and I get to have plenty of leftovers since most recipes yield 6-8 servings. Sometimes I freeze them, sometimes I pack them for lunch, and sometimes we eat the same thing for a couple of days (which is a good thing when the recipe rocks! A lot of foods actually taste even better as leftovers believe it or not). 

This week we chose options B and C, so I cooked two casseroles this week, and we also ate chicken and veggies for a couple of meals.

Casserole 1: Lattice Chicken Pot Pie

On Monday I tried a new Chicken Pot Pie recipe. I know what you might be thinking, "Wow she makes a lot of Chicken Pot Pies and Chicken and Dumplings!" If you're thinking that, you're correct! I do cook a lot of those dishes. Each one ends up having its own set of pros and cons.

The only con for this one is that we eventually ran out! It tasted absolutely wonderful! It was bursting with flavor, especially cheesy goodness! It had an array of textures, from creamy potato soup to the slight crispiness of the croissant crust. I even added a little extra flavor and texture by cooking the chicken in the oven with a crumb topping before cutting it into cubes and adding it to the pie. This recipe is DEFINITELY a keeper! Click here for the recipe.

I use this "Oven Fry" crumb mix because it has more of a fried texture to it even though it's baked.

For the chicken, I tenderized it inside plastic wrap to reduce the mess, then I dipped it in egg and covered it in the crumbs. I baked it as directed, and then cut it up to add to the casserole mix.

I cooked two chicken breasts for that night's dinner, and two for the casserole (I baked the casserole the next night).

Casserole 2: Turkey and Dumplings

On Wednesday I made Turkey and Dumplings! This one originally called for ground beef, but I subbed turkey in its place. It was really easy to make and tasted good! It reminded me of Sloppy Joes, Chicken and Dumplings, and cornbread all in one!

My husband really liked it! Looks like this one's a keeper too!

Click here for the recipe 

¡Enjoy!