Chicken, Spinach, & Mushroom Casserole with Parmesan Croutons

This dish is a quick and creamy comfort meal utilizing a store-bought rotisserie chicken. I lightened the recipe by substituting half of the half & half with milk. I also modified the original recipe by using red wine instead of white, significantly increasing the amount of spinach, and adding cremini mushrooms to the filling as well as Parmesan to the crispy bread topping.

This recipe was adapted from Everyday Food. We ate it with a green salad on the side. Great! 🙂

This week I am bringing this cozy and delicious casserole to Fiesta Friday #8 at the Novice Gardener. Hopefully it will bring some warmth to others experiencing a cold early spring. 🙂

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

• 4 cups torn bread (I used a baguette and kept the crust)
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to taste (about 2-3 tablespoons)
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds flat-leaf spinach, washed
• 2 large yellow or sweet onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 1 1/2 cups milk (I used whole milk)
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine bread with 2 tablespoons of oil; season with salt. Add freshly grated Parmesan, if desired. Set aside. In a medium pot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high. Add spinach; season with salt. Cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a colander, let cool, then squeeze out water. Coarsely chop.
2. Wipe pot clean and heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium. Add onion, garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms; season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until mushrooms are lightly browned, about 5-8 minutes longer.
3. Add wine to pot and cook until almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in half-and-half and milk. Add lemon juice and bring mixture to a boil over high.
4. Remove from heat and stir in chopped spinach and chicken; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 6-quart baking dish.  (The dish can be assembled and refrigerated up to this point, uncooked, a day ahead.) Before baking, top with bread pieces. Bake until bread is golden brown and mixture is bubbling, 8 to 10 minutes.

One Year Ago:

• Tacos with Tangy Cilantro Chicken
• Italian Braised Pork

If you like this you may also like:

• Chicken and Kale Casserole

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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