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Backcountry Casserole blends rustic flavors and textures, perfect for sharing.
This Backcountry Casserole offers a rustic blend of flavors that feels both comforting and adventurous. With each bite, you'll encounter the tender chicken infused with sage, bringing a woodland aroma into your kitchen. These hearty flavors envelop the creamy texture of hash browns and cheddar, melting into a luscious backdrop for mixed vegetables. It's like a culinary campfire, inviting everyone to gather round for a satisfying meal.
The magic really happens during baking. Allowing the casserole to bake covered helps meld the flavors, while removing the foil at the end creates a crispy, golden crown from the fried onions. It's this interplay of textures that turns a simple dish into something truly delightful. Don’t rush—this is the kind of dish that likes a little patience.
Perfect for sharing, this casserole beckons family and friends to the table. Its savory warmth carries whispers of adventures past and present, making it ideal for an evening of storytelling. Each serving brings a bit of comfort, promising full bellies and happy hearts—a nourishing ritual that beckons to be repeated.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breast boneless and skinless
- 1 tablespoon dried sage
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 (32-ounce) carton chicken broth plus more, optional, to taste
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
- 1 (32-ounce) package frozen diced hash browns thawed
- 1 (8-ounce) block or package cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup crispy-fried onions divided
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables of your choice
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large saucepan, add the chicken breasts, the sage, the salt, and the black pepper.
- Add 1 carton of the chicken broth to the pan, making sure it completely covers the chicken breasts. If it doesn't completely cover the meat, add the extra broth until it does.
- Place the pan over high heat and bring the broth to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the chicken breasts to simmer in the broth until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 30-45 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board and allow them to cool slightly.
- Once the chicken breasts are cool enough to handle, use two forks to shred the meat.
- In a large bowl, add the shredded chicken, the cream of chicken soup, 1 cup of the chicken broth from cooking the chicken, the hash browns, the cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup of the crispy-fried onions, the frozen veggies, the melted butter, and the sour cream and stir to combine.
- Transfer the chicken mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- Top the chicken mixture with the remaining crispy-fried onions.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake the casserole until the potatoes are cooked through, about 30-45 minutes.
- Remove the foil and continue to bake the casserole until the top is slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
- Serve.
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