Photo credit: howtofeedaloon.com
Wild Moon’s Chicken Casserole with mustard and tarragon will blow your tastebuds away. There’s something so simple and satisfying about all the hearty recipes available to us during the cooler months of winter. By the end of October every year, our bodies usually drop their cravings for salads and cooler meals and we start craving roasted veggies, creamy soups, and warm, filling dishes like stews and casseroles. Admittedly, it’s my favourite time of year for cooking—especially cooking anything that calls for chicken or beef stock so I can incorporate our organic bone broth into the recipe. This week I’m sharing one of our faves around these parts – Chicken casserole with mustard and tarragon. We made it for guests over the holidays and, as usual, it was a hit. Think beef stroganoff, but with chicken and a slightly tangier taste. It’s mouth-wateringly satisfying and it will no doubt have you coming up for seconds.
Here is a recipe I’ve adapted from my mom’s old recipe —which used butter and lard (yes, lard) and leeks, three things I’m not a huge fan of—and added in a couple tweaks of my own.
Chicken Casserole Ingredients list
- 1/4 cup EVOO (I use the Wild Mushroom & Sage from Olive Us Oil & Vinegar Tasting Room in Vernon – you can order their oils (and vinegars) online here)
- 2.5 lbs chicken (any meat part that you want – I usually use skinless thighs) cut up into bite-sized pieces or left whole (I do both, depending on my mood when I’m making it!)
- 1 purple onion, minced
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 2 cups of sliced Crimini Mushrooms (or you can use Oyster mushrooms for a heartier, meat-like texture)
- 1 tsp of fresh tarragon (or dried)
- 1.5 cups of our Wild Moon Organic Bone Chicken Broth
- 3/4 cup of unsweetened, unwhipped cream (or, if you don’t do dairy, try using 1 cup of coconut milk whey. It won’t end up quite as creamy, but it’s just as tasty)
- 2 tsp of fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp of dried dijon mustard (or 3 tsp of prepared dijon mustard)
Chicken Casserole Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350F
- In a casserole dish on medium heat, add 1 tsp of the olive oil and cook the chicken (around 7 minutes until it’s golden) and then remove it from the dish and set it aside in a bowl. Add the rest of the oil and add in the onion and garlic and cook it around 5 minutes until it softens. Add in the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes (or until most of the liquid is gone). Add in the tarragon, broth, cream, lemon juice and mustard and bring it to a light boil for a minute or two. Add the chicken back in and stir it all together and put the cover on (or use tin foil to cover it).
- Bake it in the oven for 1 hour (you’re waiting for the sauce to thicken and reduce, so it may take a little more or a little less depending on your oven).
OPTIONAL: If you want to add veggies to your casserole, you can add in boiled carrots and potatoes or peas, green beans, or whatever else you fancy. I sometimes add in yams if I’m in the mood for something sweet. Also, I love the idea of adding toasted almonds onto the top of the casserole like www.howtofeedaloon.com does for her recipe.
This recipe feeds a family of 4-6 and it is so easy to make with very little prep time and fairly fast cooking time. Enjoy!
Love cooking with our organic Chicken Broth? Try this recipe for Chicken and Mushroom Madeira Soup too. It’s delish!