Freezer-to-Oven Chicken Alfredo Casserole

Freezer-to-Oven Chicken Alfredo Casserole

Serves 6 to 8

1 pound dry fusilli pasta
1 (14- to 16-ounce) package frozen broccoli florets
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
5 cups whole or 2% milk
1 1/2 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 6 ounces)

Bring a large Dutch oven or heavy-duty pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook until almost tender (you want some bite left in the pasta, check it 1 minute before the time called for on the package).

Turn off the heat, add the broccoli to the pot, stir to combine, and let sit for 1 minute (the broccoli will not be cooked all the way through). Drain well and set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the same pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in an even layer, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring every few minutes, until the chicken is browned and just cooked through, about 5 minutes total. Remove to a plate or bowl. Do not wash out the pot.

Return the pot to medium heat and add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. When the butter is melted, add the flour, scrape up the brown bits at the bottom of the pan, and stir constantly until the flour starts to smell toasty and darkens slightly in color, about 1 minute. While constantly whisking, add the milk until it is all incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Bring just to a boil, whisking constantly. Add the cheese and whisk until smooth. Turn off the heat.

Add the chicken and any accumulated juices, pasta, and broccoli, and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Divide the mixture between 2 (8- to 9-inch) baking dishes or disposable foil trays (try to get ones that are around 2 inches deep), or transfer all of the mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish or disposable foil tray. Let cool completely, then wrap tightly in aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 months.

Bake frozen, still covered in the foil, on the middle rack of a preheated 350°F oven until heated through, about 1 1/2 hours. Alternatively, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bake for only 1 hour.

Recipe Notes

• Same-day baking: This casserole can also be baked immediately after assembly. Bake covered in foil in a 350°F oven until heated through, about 30 minutes.
• Disposable foil trays: Look for trays that are close to 2 inches deep; shallower trays will not hold all the casserole.
• Storage: The baked casserole leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

HY’S CHEESE TOAST

From blog post: Hy's Cheese Toast

Ingredients

4 thick slices white bread

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Grana Padano

1/4 cup grated aged Gouda or Swiss

1/3 cup grated old cheddar

a few drops of Worcestershire

Directions

Preheat the broiler. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until golden.

Meanwhile, stir together the butter, cheeses and Worcestershire. Take the toasted bread out of the oven, flip them over, and spread the butter-cheese mixture thickly over the untoasted side. Return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the toast is golden around the edges.

Cut into whatever sized pieces you like and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Momofuku's Bo Ssam

This is a recipe to win the dinner party sweepstakes, and at very low stakes: slow-roasted pork shoulder served with lettuce, rice and a raft of condiments. The chef David Chang serves the dish, known by its Korean name, bo ssam, at his Momofuku restaurant in the East Village and elsewhere. He shared the recipe with The Times in 2012. Mr. Chang is known as a kitchen innovator, but his bo ssam is a remarkably straightforward way to achieve high-level excellence with little more than ingredients and time. Simply cure the pork overnight beneath a shower of salt and some sugar, then roast it in a low oven until it collapses. Apply some brown sugar and a little more salt, then roast the skin a while longer until it takes on the quality of glistening bark. Meanwhile, make condiments – hot sauces and kimchi, rice, some oysters if you wish. Then tear meat off the bone and wrap it in lettuce, and keep at that until everything’s gone.

INGREDIENTS

PORK BUTT:

• 1 whole bone-in pork butt or picnic ham (8 to 10 pounds)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 7 tablespoons brown sugar

GINGER-SCALLION SAUCE:

• 2 ½ cups thinly sliced scallions, both green and white parts
• ½ cup peeled, minced fresh ginger
• ¼ cup neutral oil (like grapeseed)
• 1 ½ teaspoons light soy sauce
• 1 scant teaspoon sherry vinegar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

SSAM SAUCE:

• 2 tablespoons fermented bean-and-chili paste (ssamjang, available in many Asian markets, and online)
• 1 tablespoon chili paste (kochujang, available in many Asian markets, and online)
• ½ cup sherry vinegar
• ½ cup neutral oil (like grapeseed)

ACCOMPANIMENTS:

• 2 cups plain white rice, cooked
• 3 heads bibb lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried
• 1 dozen or more fresh oysters(optional)
•  Kimchi (available in many Asian markets, and online)

PREPARATION

1. Place the pork in a large, shallow bowl. Mix the white sugar and 1 cup of the salt together in another bowl, then rub the mixture all over the meat. Cover it with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
2. When you're ready to cook, heat oven to 300. Remove pork from refrigerator and discard any juices. Place the pork in a roasting pan and set in the oven and cook for approximately 6 hours, or until it collapses, yielding easily to the tines of a fork. (After the first hour, baste hourly with pan juices.) At this point, you may remove the meat from the oven and allow it to rest for up to an hour.
3. Meanwhile, make the ginger-scallion sauce. In a large bowl, combine the scallions with the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and taste, adding salt if needed.
4. Make the ssam sauce. In a medium bowl, combine the chili pastes with the vinegar and oil, and mix well.
5. Prepare rice, wash lettuce and, if using, shuck the oysters. Put kimchi and sauces into serving bowls.
6. When your accompaniments are prepared and you are ready to serve the food, turn oven to 500. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining tablespoon of salt with the brown sugar. Rub this mixture all over the cooked pork. Place in oven for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, or until a dark caramel crust has developed on the meat. Serve hot, with the accompaniments.

NOTES

Simple One-Skillet Chicken Alfredo Pasta

by Katie Workman

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Todd Coleman

One of the reasons I like to cook mostly healthy food is so I can justify the occasional dish like this one. In between an evening featuring Kale and Quinoa Salad, and another dinner starring Cornmeal-Crusted Tilapia, I can rationalize this warm hug of a meal. Plus, any one-skillet meal where the pasta cooks right in the sauce is a gift with purchase, in my book.

Fork in the Road: Slightly decadent, more than a little comforting, and with some great add-in options to elevate it above the usual.

What the Kids Can Do: Measure ingredients, pick add-ins, stir with supervision.

Make Ahead: While it’s certainly reasonable to thrill over a meal of reheated leftover Alfredo pasta, either warmed on the stovetop or in the microwave, this dish is best when it’s made just before serving.

Note: What does rigate mean? Ridges. And those ridges are what lets the pasta grab onto that sauce and hold it tight. Tighter than a preschooler hangs on to his mom who is about leave him at school for the first time, or maybe even a month or so into the school year, even though he knows she is coming back, because when has she ever not? (Can you tell I still have scars?)

• 1  1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 4 cups chicken broth, preferably low-sodium
• 1 package (1 pound) penne rigate or ziti
• 1 1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream or half-and-half, warmed
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

1. Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Melt the butter in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, in batches if necessary, and sauté until nicely browned on the outside, but still a bit pink inside, about 4 minutes (the pieces don’t have to be browned on all sides; two sides is fine). Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate.

3. Do not clean the pan! Those brown bits on the bottom of the pan are going to add flavor to the sauce. Add the garlic to the pan and sauté over medium heat until you can smell it, 30 seconds. Turn the heat to high, add the chicken broth, and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen up all of those delicious caramelized bits. Bring to a simmer, lower to medium heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the pasta, stir well, and simmer until the pasta starts to soften, about 8 minutes. Stir in the warm cream and the browned chicken with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, most of the liquid has been absorbed, and the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes more.

4. Stir in the Parmesan until well incorporated, and adjust the seasonings. 

5. You can continue with Step 6 or see the Fork in the Road for add-in suggestions.

6. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the parsley, if desired. Serve hot and pass extra Parmesan at the table.

Alfredo Add-Ins:

When you add the Parmesan in Step 4, you can add any of the following to the pot, alone or in combination; stir over medium heat for another minute or two.

• 1 cup slivered sun-dried tomatoes or 1/4 cup sun-dried tomato pesto
• 1 tablespoon pureed chipotles in adobo sauce
• 4 cups sliced mushrooms, sautéed
• 3 cups lightly cooked tiny broccoli florets
• 2 tablespoons fresh herbs, such as oregano, thyme, or parsley

Or, you can serve up portions of Chicken Alfredo Pasta for those who like it plain and simple, and add proportionate amounts of any of the add-ins to the pot.

From Dinner Solved! by Katie Workman, Workman Publishing Company 2015.

Categories: 

Main DishesWeeknight KitchenPoultry

Tags: 

chickenchicken brothparmesan

Yield: 

Serves 6 to 8

The Splendid Table

Jamie Oliver's Chicken in Milk

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg higher-welfare chicken
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil
• ½ stick cinnamon
• 1 good handful fresh sage, leaves picked
• zest of 2 lemons
• 10 cloves garlic, skin left on
• 565 ml milk

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5, and find a snug-fitting pot for the chicken. Season it generously all over, and fry it in a little olive oil, turning the chicken to get an even colour all over, until golden. Remove from the heat, put the chicken on a plate, and throw away the oil left in the pot. This will leave you with tasty sticky goodness at the bottom of the pan which will give you a lovely caramel flavour later on.

Put your chicken back in the pot with the rest of the ingredients, and cook in the preheated oven for 1½ hours. Baste with the cooking juice when you remember. The lemon zest will sort of split the milk, making a sauce which is absolutely fantastic.

To serve, pull the meat off the bones and divide it onto your plates. Spoon over plenty of juice and the little curds. Serve with wilted spinach or greens and some mashed potato



Also adapted by "The Kitchn" website for the slow cooker:

Slow-Cooker Chicken in Milk

Serves 4 to 6

4- to 5-pound chicken
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil
1 cup hard cider or apple juice
10 cloves garlic, left unpeeled
1/4 cup lightly packed sage leaves
1/2 whole cinnamon stick (about 3 inches long)
Zest from two medium lemons
2 1/4 cups whole milk

Remove the chicken from its packaging and pull the bundle of giblets from inside; discard or reserve the giblets for another use. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Mix together the salt and pepper, and rub this all over the chicken.

→ At this point, you can sear the chicken for deeper flavor, or you can transfer it directly to a 6-quart or larger slow cooker, breast-side down. If you skip the searing step, reduce the amount of cider to 1/2 cup and don't use the olive oil.

To sear the chicken, warm the tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Sear the chicken on all sides until deep golden-brown; use tongs to help turn it as you sear. The heat in the pan should be hot enough that you hear a constant sizzle as you sear the chicken; reduce the heat slightly if the oil begins to smoke.

Transfer the seared chicken to the bowl of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker and lay it breast-side down.

Pour off any grease left in the pan and return the pan to heat. Add the cider and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan as the cider simmers. Continue simmering the cider until it has reduced by roughly half. Pour the cider over the chicken.

Rub any loose papery skins from the garlic cloves, but otherwise leave them in their peels. Scatter the garlic cloves, sage leaves, cinnamon stick, and lemon zest on top of and around the chicken, then pour the milk over top.

Cover the slow cooker and cook for 4 to 6 hours on low heat.

To serve, lift the chicken from the slow cooker and transfer it to a cutting board; the legs or wings may fall off. Carve the chicken into pieces; you can leave the skin on or remove it, as you like.

Scoop the garlic cloves from the cooking liquid and scatter them over the chicken pieces. Transfer the liquid to a serving dish, straining if you'd prefer to remove the solid curds (although they're tasty!). Serve everything while still piping hot.

Turmeric Grilled Chicken

Turmeric Grilled Chicken

Kai Yang Khamin

Yields: 4 servings

• 1 teaspoon white peppercorns or ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds or ground coriander
• 1 packed tablespoon light or dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 5 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro stems
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 1/3 to 1 1/2 pounds (600 to 675g) boneless chicken thighs (with or without skin)
• 1 lime, quartered (optional)

Method

1. Grind the peppercorns and coriander seeds in a small food processor to a coarse texture. Add the sugar to grind it a little finer. Visible bits remaining are okay. Add the turmeric, garlic, cilantro, fish sauce, and oyster sauce. Process into a relatively smooth marinade.
2. Transfer to a bowl. Add the chicken and use your fingers to rub the marinade into the chicken, getting some under the skin if you kept it on the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
3. About 30 minutes before heating, remove the chicken from the fridge and let sit at room temperature to remove the chill.
4. Heat a gas grill to medium-high or light a charcoal fire, leaving one side free of coals. The grill is ready when you can hold your hand 6 inches (15 cm) over the grill for 4 to 5 seconds.
5. Cook the chicken for 12 to 15 minutes, turning frequently, until cooked through. Check for doneness by nicking with the tip of a knife. Transfer to a plate and serve with lime wedges.

Adapted from Simple Thai Food by Leela Punyaratabandhu.

Lentil Sausage Soup

Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten

SHOW:

Barefoot Contessa

EPISODE:

Tale of Two Soups

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Lentil Sausage Soup

Total Time:

2 hr

Prep:

15 min

Inactive:

15 min

Cook:

1 hr 30 min

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Yield:

4 quarts; 8 to 10 servings

Level:

Easy

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Total Time:

2 hr

Prep:

15 min

Inactive:

15 min

Cook:

1 hr 30 min

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Yield:

4 quarts; 8 to 10 servings

Level:

Easy

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Ingredients

• 1 pound French green lentils (recommended: du Puy)
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for serving
• 4 cups diced yellow onions (3 large)
• 4 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (2 leeks)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 large cloves)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 cups medium diced celery (8 stalks)
• 3 cups medium diced carrots (4 to 6 carrots)
• 3 quarts Homemade Chicken Stock, recipe follows, or canned broth
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 pound kielbasa, cut in 1/2 lengthwise and sliced 1/3-inch thick
• 2 tablespoons dry red wine or red wine vinegar
• Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
• Homemade Chicken Stock:
• 3 (5-pound) chickens
• 3 large onions, unpeeled and quartered
• 6 carrots, unpeeled and halved
• 4 celery stalks with leaves, cut in thirds
• 4 parsnips, unpeeled and cut in 1/2, optional
• 20 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 15 sprigs fresh thyme
• 20 sprigs fresh dill
• 1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in 1/2 crosswise
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

Directions

In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.
In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the onions, leeks, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are translucent and tender. Add the celery and carrots and saute for another 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and drained lentils, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, or until the lentils are cooked through and tender. Check the seasonings. Add the kielbasa and red wine and simmer until the kielbasa is hot. Serve drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan.
Homemade Chicken Stock:Place the chickens, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic, salt, and peppercorns in a 16 to 20-quart stockpot with 7 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Skim the surface as needed. Simmer uncovered for 4 hours. Strain the entire contents of the pot through a colander, discarding the chicken and vegetables, and chill. Discard the hardened fat, and then pack the broth in quart containers.
Yield: 6 quarts

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