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Hearty chicken cozies up with herby stuffing and luscious sour cream in this Friendsgiving casserole. Skip the all-day kitchen hustle and still get those classic fall flavors with less fuss. Every bite blends juicy chicken, loads of herbs, and a crispy top that keeps everyone coming back—perfect for your next big hangout.
Perks of This Dish
All the usual Thanksgiving tastes come together in a chill, one-pan meal. You can whip everything up from scratch or swap in some shortcuts for busy days. Get things ready the night before so you don't have to rush. It's easy to feed a crew or just a couple friends, and you can tweak ingredients if you're short on something.
What You Need
- Topping: 12 oz herb stuffing mix, half a cup melted butter, a cup chicken stock
- Herbs: Three sprigs of each: parsley, rosemary, and thyme
- Seasonings: Tablespoon of whole peppercorns, two teaspoons salt
- Chicken: Two and a half pounds boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut up into bite-sized pieces
- Stock Base: One medium onion (sliced in half), a whole garlic bulb (halved), two chopped carrots, two celery sticks with leaves
- Sauce Base: Quarter cup butter, one cup finely chopped onion, half a cup chopped celery, three cloves garlic (minced)
- Liquids: Two cups chicken broth, one cup heavy cream, one cup sour cream
- Thickeners: One-third cup all-purpose flour
How to Throw It Together
- Baking Step
- Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake uncovered for half an hour until the top gets toasty and the middle's hot—look for 165°F (74°C).
- Getting It Ready
- Drop shredded chicken and creamy sauce into a 9x13 pan. Stir together the stuffing mix, melted butter, and broth, then spread it on top.
- Making the Sauce
- On medium heat, melt the butter, then toss in your diced veggies and cook around 5 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and stir for a few more minutes. Pour in stock, cream, and sour cream slowly, then let it thicken while it simmers.
- Cooking the Stock
- Add chicken, veggies, and herbs to a big pot with enough water to cover. Let it bubble gently for about 20 minutes. When chicken's done, pull it out and drain the stock.
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Work-Saving Features
This meal keeps things simple with smart prepping. One pan means you’ve got fewer dishes. Keeping your cooking hot but controlled means food ends up tasty and safe to eat. Layering everything evenly helps it bake through just right. Chicken gives it some heft, the sauce keeps it moist, and the stuffing loads up that crispy crunch.
Stock-Making Know-How
If you’re making your own chicken stock, keep the pot at 200°F (93°C) and simmer for 45 minutes. Use a pound of chicken or bones for each quart of water. Toss in classic mirepoix veggies—use half as much as you do meat for balance. Once it’s done, strain out the solids with a fine mesh strainer that catches even tiny pieces. Cool the liquid quick to 40°F (4°C) in under four hours so it stays safe to eat.
Sauce Tips and Tricks
First, cook the flour and butter together at 350°F (175°C) for three minutes. Then, as you pour in the liquids, keep things at 180°F (82°C) so the sauce stays nice and smooth. You want it thick enough to cling to a spoon. Use equal amounts of heavy cream and sour cream to keep the taste just right. Add salt so you end up with about 1.5-2 percent of the sauce's total volume.
Layering Directions
Start stacking in a way that helps cook everything through. Keep the chicken layer to two inches or less. For every pound of chicken, pour on a cup of sauce. Press the stuffing down to about an inch thick. Try to keep each layer even so they all warm up together. Chill your chicken below 40°F (4°C), sauce should be hot—about 165°F (74°C), and the stuffing can be room temp.
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Storing and Saving
Cool your leftovers down quick—get them to 70°F (21°C) in two hours, then down to 40°F (4°C) in another four. In the fridge (36-38°F or 2-3°C), it'll keep for up to three days. Freeze at 0°F (-18°C) for up to a month. Let it thaw in the fridge for 24 hours, then make sure you heat it back to 165°F (74°C) before eating. Dump anything left after four days in the fridge or six months in the freezer.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → Need to cram it together fast?
Grab some rotisserie chicken to skip extra cooking. Toss in store-bought stuffing and broth. Chop or snag pre-cut veggies—some stores even sell container packs with onions and celery. Prep a day early if you want, then just bake it last minute. Frozen veggies are totally fine if you’re short on time!
- → Can you prep this a day early?
Go ahead and stir it all up the night before. Store in the fridge till you’re ready. Set it out before baking or tack on a bit more oven time. Double up, freeze one batch for later! Just wait to toss the toppings on until baking, otherwise you’ll get a soggy top.
- → What’s good on the side?
Fresh green salad makes it less heavy. Roasted veggies brighten things up and add nice crunch. Even plain old steamed broccoli fits right in. Some people like a scoop of cranberry sauce on the side. Lighter sides really round things out. Tear up some crusty bread to mop up any leftover sauce.
- → Want to go meatless?
Swap in firm tofu or canned chickpeas instead of chicken. Use veggie broth—still tastes great. Mushrooms bring in a rich flavor. Look out for chicken stock in some stuffing mixes. Add more veggies if you like it hearty. Lots of folks use plant-based chicken for this too.
- → How should I keep the leftovers?
Put extra in a tight container in the fridge for a few days. Freeze up to three months, just wrap it up well. Reheat in the oven under foil so the top stays nice. Splash in broth if it’s looking dried out. You can microwave it, but it’s tastier from the oven. Freezing single portions saves time for later quick meals!
Conclusion
Craving warm meals? Try out chicken a la king sometime. Or pop a classic chicken pot pie in the oven. Shepherd’s pie gives off that same welcoming, cozy vibe at any dinner!