NEW YORK —
Just as summer demands salads, fall calls for casseroles.
The combination of a chill in the air and the chaos of kids heading back to school means many families are looking for easy, warming one-pot meals that come together quickly and with little mess or fuss.
So when we created this recipe, we kept things simple. In fact, to cut down on mess and time, it is mixed right in the dish it is baked in. We also turned to that ultimate workhorse of the weeknight kitchen — the rotisserie chicken. Add a few vegetables and a creamy sauce made from pantry staples, and dinner's on the table in no time.
Some folks may turn up their noses at using cream-of-anything soup in a casserole. But busy families have been turning to it for decades for three simple reasons — it works, it's delicious and it's effortless.
CREAMY CHICKEN AND POTATO CASSEROLE
Bagged hash brown potatoes (not the frozen type) can be found in the refrigerator section of your grocer, often near the eggs.
Start to finish: 1 hour (20 minutes active)
Servings: 8
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
10 3/4-ounce can condensed cream-of-chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
20-ounce package hash brown potatoes
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 cup green beans, cut into pieces
1/2 cup grated carrot
Meat from a 2-pound rotisserie chicken, cubed, skin and bones discarded
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
Heat the oven to 400 F.
In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, stir together the mayonnaise, soup, milk, pepper, salt, thyme and garlic powder. Stir in the potatoes, zucchini, green beans, carrots and chicken. Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese and the breadcrumbs. Bake for 40 minutes, or until bubbling and the vegetables are tender.
Nutrition information per serving: 420 calories; 120 calories from fat (29 percent of total calories); 13 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 100 mg cholesterol; 41 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 32 g protein; 700 mg sodium.
James Gandolfini Dies at Age 51
Fmr. TWA Flight 800 Investigators Want New Probe
Raw: Heat, Spurs Back on Court Ahead of Game 7
Dolce and Gabbana Convicted of Tax Evasion
Paris, Prince Depositions Used in Jackson Trial
Coiffed Cattle Get Their Close-up
In Berlin, Obama Channels Cold War Activism
Police at Patriots Tight End's Home for 2nd Day
Fed Suggests Bond Purchases Could Slow
AP: DOJ Broke Own Rules Seizing Phone Records
Raw: Baby White Rhino Debuts at Australian Zoo
Time Lapse: Rebuilding Bridge Post-collapse
Ohio Woman Accuses 3 of Holding Her Captive
Hunt for Ex-Teamster Boss Hoffa's Remains Ends
