Showing posts with label casserole. Show all posts
Showing posts with label casserole. Show all posts

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Thrifty Thursday: Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

This was a simple recipe I thought up while trying to create a dinner out of what ever ingredients were left at the end of the week. For starters, we always have a few heads of broccoli in the fridge, it's always pretty cheap (at least where I'm from) and if I don't end up using it in any recipes, my family loves it steamed or even raw with some dip. Secondly, we always have some homemade seitan in the house, it's pretty inexpensive and easy to make and freeze.
This recipe makes a ton, it tops off a large casserole dish and weighs more than my 1yr old. I've even divided it between a 9x13 and an 8x8 and it seemed to last longer even though it was technically the same amount of food.


Chicken and Broccoli Casserole


3 heads of broccoli, chopped using only the florets
3 cups of rice
5 chick'n patties
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 can vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups plain soy milk (or vegetable broth)
1 1/2 te salt
1/2 te garlic powder
1/2 te onion powder
Pepper to taste
Pinch cayenne pepper
Shredded cheese (optional)



  • Melt butter in a sauce pan then add the flour. Mix until all the flour is absorbed and looks like a clump of dough.
  • Turn off heat and slowly add your vegetable broth and soy milk in SMALL batches and fully incorporate before adding the next batch. If you add too much liquid and lumps form, you can whisk them out before continuing. As the gravy gets thinner, you can start adding more liquid per batch.
  • Add the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, cayenne, and pepper. You want the gravy slightly salty as it will be flavoring all the rice and broccoli.
  • Return to a medium/low heat and stir frequently to avoid lumps, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the pan. Cook for about 15 minutes, if it starts to bubble, reduce heat and simmer.
  • While your gravy is heating, cut up your broccoli florets into manageably bite size pieces and steam for 10 minutes until fork tender.
  • Cut up the chick'n patties into bite sized pieces.
  • Cook your rice last to avoid clumping, I use minute rice, but any rice you have will work fine.
  • Once everything is cooked, put the rice, chicken, and broccoli in a large bowl and stir, then add the gravy and mix until it's of uniform consistency. Fill a casserole dish and pat down with a spatula. Top with shredded cheese if you have it.
  • Cook the casserole, uncovered, in a preheated 350º oven for 15 minutes.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Thrifty Thursday: Enchilada Casserole

I know it's not Thursday, but give me a break, I have like a ton of kids. But the one day delay was worth the wait. I love this recipe because it makes so much food and is endlessly customizable depending on what you have on hand. I get 2, 9x13in casserole dishes out of it if I use the larger, 10in size tortillas.

1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
1/2 cup flour
2 TB chili powder
1 TB cumin powder
1 te garlic powder
1 te salt
1/4 te pepper
6 cups water
12 large flour tortillas
4 cups cooked or canned pinto beans


Heat oil in a large 3-4 quart pot over low heat, add onions and cook until soft.
Sprinkle in the flour and spices, stir.
Slowly add the water in small batches, keep stirring to avoid lumps. If you find you're getting lumps, use a whisk to get them out.
Cook over low heat for 20 min, stir occasionally while scraping the bottom to avoid lumps.


Preheat the oven to 350ºF.


To assemble the enchiladas, spread 2 cups of the sauce over the bottom of each 9x13in casserole dish, this will be 4 cups in total.
Heat a pan or griddle to about medium and oil lightly. Cook the tortillas, one at a time, for about 30 seconds on each side until they're golden.
Spread a big spoonful of beans down the middle of the tortilla while it's still warm and pliable. Roll it up and lay in the casserole dish, 6 tortillas to a dish.
Once you have one dish filled up, top the enchiladas with 1/2 of the remaining sauce and cook, uncovered, for 40 minuets while you assemble the second casserole dish, then repeat with the remaining enchiladas.

Variations

  • Top with vegan shredded cheese or a cheese sauce
  • Once cooked, top with vegan sour cream
  • Top with salsa, tomatoes, olives, onions, hot sauce, or any other condiment you may have on hand
  • Fill with a variety of beans, I like black and red beans and even add an extra can of beans to stuff the enchiladas if I have some on hand
  • Fill with a combination of beans and seitan, chorizo flavor works really well.
  • Add corn, cooked rice, or any cooked veg to the filling