Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole (Recipe 117 of 125)

I've had this recipe waiting patiently for the right time, and the right amount of people. Tonight was the night. Book Club! The ladies came over and we ate a nice, comfort meal. 

With a gluten free lady I had to make it a bit different. I did two type of pastas and then separated them by foil in the 9X13 pan. It worked perfectly. The only problem is the gluten free lady complained it was saucy enough.

The other problem with this casserole was the maker, not the casserole. I forgot to put the cheese into the mixture. And I only realized it AFTER I put the crispy onion toping on (which it doesn't call for but I had them so I used them.) And so I improvised and put the cheese on the top. It made an interesting crust with the crispy onion topping. I think I would have preferred the cheese in the actual mixture, but it turned out fine. 

Overall, this was a good, wholesome, comforting casserole. 

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Recipe from Cuisine at Home Oct 2020

Serves 8

8 oz farfalle pasta

3 T unsalted butter

2 T minced shallot

1 T minced garlic

1/2 c dry white wine

3 T flour

2 c whole milk

1/2 c mayo

1 T dijon mustard

1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 c shredded cooked chicken

1 c diced cooked ham

1 1/2 c shredded Gruyere

1 c frozen peas

1 jar diced pimientos

1/3 c fresh bread crumbs

1/4 c grated Parmesan

2 T melted butter

2 T chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 375F. Coat a 2 qt baking dish with nonstick spray.

Cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water according to package directions; drain.

Melt 3 T butter in a saucepan over high heat until foamy. Add shallots and garlic; satue until shallots begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add wine; cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high; whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whish in milk; stir and cook until thickened, 8-10 minutes. 

Off heat, whisk in mayo, Dijon and nutmeg. Season to taste. 

Toss chicken, ham and Gruyere, peas and pimientos with pasta and sauce; transfer to prepared dish. 

Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, 2 T melted butter and parsley. Season with Salt and pepper. Top casserole with bread crumb mixture and bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes.