Chicken and Stuffing Casserole ala ~DKBB~

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from www.thepioneerwoman.com)

 
¾ cup salted butter, divided

photo from thepioneerwoman.com

1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrot
½ cup Wondra (or all-purpose) flour
4 c. chicken broth, divided
2 to 3 12.5 oz. cans shredded chicken breast
1 to 1½ cups frozen peas
½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. white pepper
¼ tsp. ground turmeric
12 oz. savory herb or chicken stuffing mix
1½ tsp. dried parsley

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• In a Dutch oven, melt 3 Tbsp. of the butter over medium-high heat; add the onion, celery, and carrot and cook until the vegetables are beginning to soften; sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
• Gradually stir in 2 cups of the chicken broth; bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, for about 5 minutes; stir in the chicken (with the water it’s packed in), peas, cream, thyme, salt, pepper, and turmeric; return to a simmer and cook for at least 3 minutes more (cook until it thickens significantly, adding more flour if needed).
• Melt the remaining 3 Tbsp. butter in the microwave; stir it into the stuffing mix along with the remaining broth (add broth a bit at a time, you might not need all of it); let this stand for a few minutes so the stuffing mix can absorb the broth/butter (this should be well-soaked but not squishy).
• Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and pour in the chicken mixture; top chicken mixture with stuffing mixture (by the spoonful, covering the top as evenly as possible).
• To avoid a mess in your oven, place the baking dish on a cooking sheet with sides; bake 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown on top and bubbly around the edges.
• Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley before serving, if desired.