Chicken Casserole - Chicken, Potato, Panko and YUM!

Chicken Casserole – Chicken, Potato and Panko –

A FAVORITE RECIPE FROM THE CANYON

Walmart Encounters

I think I need to hang out in the baking aisle in Walmart more often, because I’m getting some GOOD blog stories in that aisle. I was stopped by a lady earlier this week in that very same section that I encountered 2 cooks with questions about 2 weeks ago … both of them on the same day.

The lady this week, had her husband and granddaughter with her and I was picking up chili powder and she just came up to me and she said “Isn’t it exhausting just trying to decide what to cook for supper each day? I’m in a rut with my cooking, how about you?” And I said “Well, yes after 50 years of cooking it is easy to get in a rut I guess … but on a more positive note, I LOVE to cook so I usually come up with something pretty good even if it’s homemade hamburgers.”

She said “Well whatcha having good tonight?” And I said, “Well I’ll probably decide on my way home, but I have several things spinning around in my mind to pick from” She just turned to her husband and said “Honey, can we go to her house for supper … she loves to cook and I’ll bet she’s going to have something good” He said “Well if she’ll have us I guess we could go” I said “Sure … come on! And I think I can see from the twinkle in your husbands eyes that he and my old geezer would get along just super”

She said “I’m old and I guess I’m just getting tired of doing most everything” :-0 WOW … RED ALERT!!! (They looked to be in their mid 70’s)

A SUPER SURPRISE CASSEROLE IDEA

But I came home that day and made a casserole recipe that I just put together in my head after looking around on Pinterest for a new casserole idea and not finding exactly what suited my fancy at the time. And I’m calling my new recipe “Chicken Potato Panko” and I’m going to make that again today so MAYBE I’ll have a photo for you of the finished product … I’ll try to remember to do that.

But here’s how I’m making our own “Chicken Potato Panko” today… just like I made it last week. And remember I don’t measure anything … so just use your own good judgement and use amounts of each ingredient depending on the size of the casserole you want to make … But let me tell ya … this is DELICIOUS! I took some to Kim and Evan when I made it last week and Kim was busy working, of course … like she and I are EVERY day these days … and Evan took a taste of it and he said “Kim if you want some of this you’d better get in here because I could eat this whole PAN of this stuff” And now remember … Evan went to culinary school … so that was a HUGE compliment. But now for the recipe … and here we go …

Chicken Potato Panko

Boneless/skinless chicken tenders, diced

Sliced potatoes

Diced onions

Swiss Cheese slices

Cheddar Cheese slices

Mushroom Soup

Pet Milk … small can

Water

Pioneer Brand Peppered Gravy Mix

Panko

Butter

Salt, Pepper and Cayenne

Now this took me a while last week because I diced the chicken and cooked and browned it in the skillet and then fried the potatoes and onions and then put them into a buttered baking pan over the cooked/diced chicken. (lightly salt and pepper the diced chicken AND the potatoes and onions once you get them cooked and I added a little cayenne to both also … we use cayenne in everything in Round Knob Canyon)

THEN in a small pan I mixed the Mushroom Soup, gravy mix, water and pet milk … now right here is where it could get tricky … because you don’t want this mixture too watery … but if you cook much you’ll know how much water to add to the soup, gravy mix and pet milk … You want it to be the consistency of … GRAVY 🙂 And I add a little more pepper here too AND a little more cayenne … we like our foods to have a ‘bite’ …

Now pour the gravy mixture over your chicken and potatoes in the baking dish … top with a layer of swiss cheese and then a layer of cheddar cheese …

In a mixing bowl I mixed a cup or two of Panko and stirred in some real butter (melted) and some black pepper and a little cayenne and spread it over the casserole and I baked it in the oven at about 350 for about 40 minutes … or until it started getting a light golden brown.

Kim was talking later about how delicious this was and I was telling her how time consuming it had been and she said “Well why don’t you dice the chicken and make 1 flat layer and wrap it in foil and cook and brown it in the oven and do the same with the potatoes and onions in another closed sheet of foil” WOW … GREAT idea!!! I’m going to try it that was this morning …

SO TODAY we’ll be having Chicken Potato Panko again … And I plan to take Kim and Evan a big pan again today too because while I’m working 8 to 10 hours a day on this blog that is about to make us both pull our hair out now that we’re on WordPress … KIM is working 10 to 14 hours a day. SO I like to help her with their meals as often as she will allow me to.

Well that’s it from the canyon today! Another Walmart Encounter Story … and Chicken Potato Panko … Round Knob Canyon style …

Peace and love … I love you all gobs … and thanks SO MUCH for stopping by!