Ozlem’s Chicken Casserole under Béchamel Sauce

Ingredients:
3 Chicken Breasts
1 C frozen peas
1 C frozen carrot (if boiled 2 medium size carrot chopped in cubes))
1 C corn kernels
2 medium potatoes ( chopped in cubes)
1 tsp. Himalayan salt
1 tsp.grated peppercorn
4 Tbsps. Flour
5 Tbsps. Butter
4 C milk
3/4 C mozzarella cheese
1/4 C medium sharp cheddar cheese
 
Kitchen secrets: Chicken breast become tough during cooking. You may try followed suggestions to make it soft.
  1. You can soak chicken breasts in ice-cold water with salt for an hour. This way meat retain the its own juice during cooking.
  2. You may cook the breasts in an oven safe bag at 325 F (185C) for an hour so juice also stay in. 
  3.  Slow cooking also helps the meat keep its juice.
  4. Also marinating chicken breast in yogurt ( rinse the yogurt off before cooking) also keeps the meat soft.
 
Making:
Cook the chicken breast your traditional way.
Cool it down and chop in very small pieces. (Almost like pulled meat). Set aside
Boil the potatoes and chop in cubes
Measure peas, carrots straight out from freezer. (You may always boil the carrots and chop in cubes like potatoes)
Mix together all prepared vegetables and shredded chicken breast in a bowl.
Add salt and pepper.
Brush the bottom of the Pyrex pan 1 tsp. olive oil.
Transfer the vegetable mix into a Pyrex dish
Set aside.
 
Sautee 3 Tbsp. of unbleached flour in a sauce pan on a medium heat.
When the aroma of the flour released add the butter and cook the flour couple more minutes (butter brings up the flour together like a dough)
Bring the heat down.
Add the preheated milk by drizzling and stirring really fast.
The béchamel sauce will become creamy and smooth. (If you still have crumbles of flour you can always blend.)
Spread the sauce on the vegetable mixes evenly.
Bake in (325F) 185C for 20 minutes
Grate the mozzarella and cheddar cheese and spread on the béchamel sauce
Return the meal back to the oven for another 5-8 minutes until the cheese  gets golden without burnt.
Serve right away.
4/25/2016
 
 Back to Poultry Page