Party Casserole
Party Casserole is a scrumptious main dish entree. As I’ve noted before, my kid’s grew up thinking I was the “Casserole Queen,” because I loved trying out new casserole recipes all the time. Whether I chose casseroles for vegetables or main dish recipes I was always on the hunt for great recipes.
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That’s how I stumbled across this great recipe years and years ago. I loved the combination of vegetables, and the creamy sauce that holds everything together is quite tasty. In addition to that it has a tasty breading on the top using either Panko or Italian bread crumbs, cheese and walnuts that adds crunch and flavor to the casserole.
Party Casserole is a very appetizing recipe for company and entertaining. It’s similar to a recipe I got from a friend in the 1980s called Company Chicken. This wonderfully-flavored Taste of Home recipe is made with whole chicken breasts, zucchini, baby carrots, pearl onions in a creamy dill sauce with cheese and walnuts sprinkled on top.
We loved the way this recipe turned out. The flavors are truly amazing and it is a complete meal by itself. I served it with Scalloped Corn and Buttermilk Wheat Bread and it was superb.
If you’re looking for a really exciting recipe for company or just something new to try out on your family sometime, then consider giving this great recipe a try. You won’t be disappointed. It’s also a great way to use up garden produce if you have a bumper zucchini or carrot crop.
I’ve used regular diced onions with good success too (because my husband doesn’t care for pearl onions), although I personally prefer the pearl onions. The creamy dill sauce is also quite tasty. I usually sprinkle more dill weed on top which gives a little added zest as well.
When I first posted this recipe in June 2012 my pictures were awful. I spread so much coating on top of the chicken and veggies that you couldn’t see anything but coating! While it sure tasted wonderfully to us, it was not very conducive to picture viewing.
I recently remade this recipe (December 2014) when we went to visit John’s parents in Florida over the holidays. I took some new pictures so you can more adequately see what this recipe is supposed to look like. They loved the dish, and so did we.
Party Casserole includes chicken and a zucchini and carrots vegetable medley in a luscious dill cream sauce. Then it’s topped with Panko or Italian bread crumbs, cheese and walnuts for a wonderful crunchy flavor.
The chicken has a crunchy topping of walnuts, cheddar cheese and Panko bread crumbs on top and is quite superb.
The vegetable medley includes baby carrots, zucchini slices and cocktail onions.
Party Casserole is a delicious one-dish meal that’s perfect for holidays like Easter, Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients. This is the first time I’ve used Panko bread crumbs in the recipe. I actually liked the way this turned out better than using regular Italian bread crumbs.
To make the sauce: Melt butter in large saucepan. Add flour to melted butter. Stir with whisk to combine. The mixture gets quite thick.
Begin adding milk or heavy whipping cream a little at a time and stir with whisk to combine and work out any lumps. I used heavy whipping cream because it makes a richer sauce. You can also use evaporated milk.
Add cream (half-and-half) slowly until you’ve added the whole amount required in the recipe. Continue stirring and allow sauce to thicken over a medium heat. Add instant chicken bouillon granules and prepared mustard. I used a spicy brown mustard. Add dill weed, pepper and nutmeg. Stir into sauce ingredients and allow to continue heating until mixture thickens.
Here the sauce has thickened.
Place boneless chicken breasts in a large baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
Once sauce has thickened, ladle some of the sauce over top of the meat in the baking pan or dish.
To the remaining sauce, add crinkle cut carrots, sliced and quartered zucchini, and a jar of rinsed and drained cocktail onions.
Stir all the veggies to combine.
Place the veggies around the meat in the baking dish. You can sprinkle dill weed here over top of the sauce if you prefer, or you can wait and add it on the top of the topping ingredients. Both ways work, although it is a little prettier added on top of the topping ingredients.
For Topping: Melt butter in a large mixing bowl. Add Panko or Italian style bread crumbs, grated sharp cheddar cheese and finely chopped walnuts. Stir all ingredients together to combine.
Sprinkle topping over top of baking dish.
Bake about 30 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered.
Party Casserole is a great meal for company. It’s really a one-dish meal.
The flavors of Party Casserole are so tantalizing. The creamy dill sauce adds a lot of delicious flavor to this casserole.
Every bite of this Party Casserole is delectable.
Here’s the recipe.
PARTY CASSEROLE
(Recipe adapted from Taste of Home Country Chicken Cookbook)
Party Casserole
Equipment
- 1 10x15" glass baking dish
- 1 nut chopper if nuts are not previously chopped
- 1 medium sauce pan
- 1 wooden spoon
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 whisk
- 1 sharp knife to cut vegetables
- 1 small bowl
- aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 6 chicken breast halves boneless, skinless
- 2 cups zucchini sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 14 oz. pkg. crinkle cut carrots
- 1 stick unsalted butter divided use (1/2 cup)
- 1/2-3/4 cup UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups half-and-half cream or you can substitute milk or evaporated milk
- 2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
- 1/2 tsp. spicy brown mustard
- 1/2 tsp. dill weed
- 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
- dash nutmeg
- 14 oz. jar small pearl onions drained and rinsed well
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs or Italian bread crumbs
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup sharp Cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup walnuts finely chopped (measure after chopping)
- 2% milk if needed
Instructions
- Spray a large 10x15” casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Place chicken in the middle.
- Prepare sauce on top of stove using medium saucepan.
- Melt ½ stick butter (1/4 cup).
- Add flour with whisk.
- Whisk in half-and-half very slowly.
- If sauce is still too thick, add a little milk.
- Add chicken bouillon, mustard, dill weed, pepper and nutmeg.
- Keep on low-medium heat and continue cooking until mixture thickens, a couple of minutes.
- Spoon ½ to 1 cup of sauce over chicken in dish.
- Add onions, zucchini and carrots to remaining sauce.
- Stir to combine.
- Spoon vegetables and sauce along sides of baking dish.
- Melt remaining ½ stick butter (1/4 cup) in a small bowl; toss with Panko bread crumbs, cheese and walnuts.
- Spoon over chicken and vegetables.
- If desired, sprinkle entire casserole with a little more dill weed.
- Bake, covered, about 30 minutes at 350°.
- Remove foil and bake an additional 30 minutes or until chicken is done and carrots are cooked through.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
- 2 cups sliced zucchini (1/4 inch thick)
- 14-oz. pkg. crinkle cut carrots
- 1 stick[url href=”http://www.landolakes.com/” target=”_blank” title=”land o’ lakes unsalted butter”] Land O’ Lakes[/url] unsalted butter, divided
- ½ cup to ¾ cup Gold Medal UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups half-and-half cream
- 2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
- ½ tsp. prepared [url href=”http://www.conagrafoods.com/our-food/brands/guldens-mustard” target=”_blank” title=”gulden’s spicy brown mustard”]Gulden’s[/url] spicy brown mustard
- ½ tsp. dill weed
- 1/8 tsp. pepper
- Dash nutmeg
- 14-oz. jar [url href=”http://www.auntnellies.com/Products/Index.cfm” target=”_blank” title=”aunt nellie’s cocktail onions”]Aunt Nellie’s[/url] small pearl onions, drained and rinsed well
- ½ to ¾ cup [url href=”http://www.kikkomanusa.com/index.html” target=”_blank” title=”kikkoman’s panko bread crumbs”]Kikkoman’s[/url] Panko bread crumbs or Italian bread crumbs
- 1/3 to ½ cup [url href=”http://www.sargento.com/” target=”_blank” title=”sargento cheese”]Sargento [/url]shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts
- Spray a large 10×15” casserole dish.
- Place chicken in the middle.
- Prepare sauce on top of stove using medium saucepan.
- Melt ½ stick butter.
- Add flour with whisk.
- Whisk in half-and-half very slowly, then add milk.
- If sauce is still too thick, add a little more milk.
- Add chicken bouillon, mustard, dill weed, pepper and nutmeg.
- Keep on low-medium heat and continue cooking until mixture thickens, a couple of minutes.
- Spoon ½ to 1 cup of sauce over chicken in dish.
- Add onions, zucchini and carrots to remaining sauce.
- Stir to combine.
- Spoon vegetables and sauce along sides of baking dish.
- Melt remaining ½ stick butter; toss with bread crumbs, cheese and walnuts.
- Spoon over chicken and vegetables.
- If desired, sprinkle entire casserole with a little more dill weed.
- Bake, covered, about 30 minutes at 350°.
- Remove foil and bake an additional 30 minutes or until chicken is done and carrots are cooked through.
Party Casserole is terrific. My in-laws really enjoyed this tasty dish when we served it to them during Christmas week.
Party Casserole is a great way to use up produce from your garden or CSA like zucchini or carrots.
The tasty coating on the chicken and vegetables is excellent.
You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!
Roasted Lemon Chicken with Potatoes and Tomatoes
Rosemary-Garlic Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans
Party Casserole
Equipment
- 1 10×15" glass baking dish
- 1 nut chopper if nuts are not previously chopped
- 1 medium sauce pan
- 1 wooden spoon
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 whisk
- 1 sharp knife to cut vegetables
- 1 small bowl
- aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 6 chicken breast halves boneless, skinless
- 2 cups zucchini sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 14 oz. pkg. crinkle cut carrots
- 1 stick unsalted butter divided use (1/2 cup)
- 1/2-3/4 cup UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups half-and-half cream or you can substitute milk or evaporated milk
- 2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
- 1/2 tsp. spicy brown mustard
- 1/2 tsp. dill weed
- 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
- dash nutmeg
- 14 oz. jar small pearl onions drained and rinsed well
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs or Italian bread crumbs
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup sharp Cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup walnuts finely chopped (measure after chopping)
- 2% milk if needed
Instructions
- Spray a large 10×15” casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Place chicken in the middle.
- Prepare sauce on top of stove using medium saucepan.
- Melt ½ stick butter (1/4 cup).
- Add flour with whisk.
- Whisk in half-and-half very slowly.
- If sauce is still too thick, add a little milk.
- Add chicken bouillon, mustard, dill weed, pepper and nutmeg.
- Keep on low-medium heat and continue cooking until mixture thickens, a couple of minutes.
- Spoon ½ to 1 cup of sauce over chicken in dish.
- Add onions, zucchini and carrots to remaining sauce.
- Stir to combine.
- Spoon vegetables and sauce along sides of baking dish.
- Melt remaining ½ stick butter (1/4 cup) in a small bowl; toss with Panko bread crumbs, cheese and walnuts.
- Spoon over chicken and vegetables.
- If desired, sprinkle entire casserole with a little more dill weed.
- Bake, covered, about 30 minutes at 350°.
- Remove foil and bake an additional 30 minutes or until chicken is done and carrots are cooked through.
2 Comments
35 Chicken Casseroles – Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen
May 6, 2015 at 12:43 pm
[…] Party Casserole […]
Buttermilk Wheat Bread | Can't Stay Out Of The KitchenCan't Stay Out Of The Kitchen
July 1, 2014 at 2:08 pm
[…] meal. This dinner bread is great to serve with hearty soups and chowders, but I served it with Party Casserole a delicious chicken dish with zucchini, baby carrots and pearl […]