Do Ahead Chicken Casserole

Total Time: 2 hrs 5 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 45 mins

Ingredients

• 4 cups diced cooked chicken
• 9 slices bread (white or whole wheat, thick slices)
• 1/4 cup butter or 1/4 cup margarine
• 4 tablespoons butter or 4 tablespoons margarine
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 1 (2 ounce) jar pimientos or 2 ounces sweet red peppers, cut in small strips
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (lite is ok)
• 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 4 eggs, well beaten
• 2 cups milk
• buttered breadcrumbs

Recipe

• 1 lightly butter a 9x13-inch oven proof dish.
• 2 cut crusts off the bread and save.
• 3 place bread slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish.
• 4 put chicken on top.
• 5 sauté mushrooms in 2 tbsp butter and then put mushrooms on top of the chicken.
• 6 sprinkle water chestnuts and pimentos on top of the mushrooms.
• 7 dot with mayo and top with cheese.
• 8 melt two tbsp butter in skillet, stir in flour until smooth.
• 9 whisk in 2 cups broth, bring to a boil, whisking constantly until thickened, set aside.
• 10 whisk milk and eggs together and pour over the cheese.
• 11 spoon chicken broth sauce over the casserole.
• 12 cover and refrigerate overnight.
• 13 bring to room temperature and sprinkle with buttered crumbs (see below).
• 14 bake in 350°f uncovered for 1-1 1/2 hours.
• 15 buttered crumbs:.
• 16 crumble the crusts of the bread in crumbs.
• 17 melt 1/4 cup butter add crumbs and toast for 10-15 minutes .
• 18 the crumbs can be made ahead and stored in a jar in the fridge.
• 19 do not add crumbs to casserole until just before baking.