Cottage-Getaway Casserole

Time :1 hour 35 minutes
Yield :4 servings

Recipe Background

You know what? It's time for a getaway. Time to trek out into the wilderness and into the wonderful, flower-filled country, to find a lovely little cottage just to unwind in. And when the sun finally sets on a beautiful day, it's time to settle in with an equally lovely meal. Cottage-Getaway Casserole is just such a meal; filled with chicken and buttery baguette slices, this is a comforting, cheesy, and tasty meal befitting a little cottage comfort. It's infused with the richness and beefy flavor of French onion soup, with plenty of caramelized onions to ensure that each bite is golden and sweet. Cottage-Getaway Casserole is a whole country vacation in a dish.
You know what? It's time for a getaway. Time to trek out into the wilderness and into the wonderful, flower-filled country, to find a lovely little cottage just to unwind in. And when the sun finally sets on a beautiful day, it's time to settle in with an equally lovely meal. Cottage-Getaway Casserole is just such a meal; filled with chicken and buttery baguette slices, this is a comforting, cheesy, and tasty meal befitting a little cottage comfort. It's infused with the richness and beefy flavor of French onion soup, with plenty of caramelized onions to ensure that each bite is golden and sweet. Cottage-Getaway Casserole is a whole country vacation in a dish.

Ingredients

For the baguette:

  • 3/4 of a standard-size baguette cut into 1/2-inch slices
  • extra-virgin olive oil to taste, for drizzling
  • 1 1/2 cups Gruyère cheese shredded and divided
  • 1 1/2 cups Swiss cheese shredded and divided

For the chicken:

  • 3 chicken breasts boneless, skinless, and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme

For the casserole:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups onion sliced
  • 3/4 cup white wine
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3/4 teaspoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • parsley freshly chopped, for garnish

Directions

  • Heat the oven broiler to medium.
  • Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet.
  • Drizzle the slices with the olive oil and sprinkle them with 1/2 cup of the Gruyère cheese and 1/2 cup of the Swiss cheese.
  • Broil until the cheese is melted and the bread pieces are golden, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the pepper, the salt, 2 tablespoons of the flour, the cornstarch, the garlic powder, and the thyme.
  • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining olive oil.
  • Brown both sides of the coated chicken in the oil, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Transfer the chicken to a plate.
  • Add the onion and the white wine to the same skillet and stir to deglaze.
  • Cover and cook until the onions are translucent, about 4 minutes.
  • Remove the lid and continue to cook the onions at medium-high heat until no liquid remains.
  • Add the butter to the onions and reduce the heat to medium.
  • Continue to cook the onions, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until they look golden, about 10 minutes.
  • Stir the remaining flour into the caramelized onions and cook until the flour smell disappears, about 2 minutes.
  • Slowly stir the broth into the onion mixture and let it simmer for 2 minutes.
  • Turn off the stovetop heat.
  • Place 1/2 of the toasted bread pieces in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  • Pour 1/2 of the onion mixture on top of the bread and top with the chicken.
  • Add 1/2 cup of the Gruyère cheese and 1/2 cup of the Swiss cheese in an even layer on top of the chicken.
  • Add the remaining onion mixture on top of the cheese.
  • Top the onion with the remaining Gruyère cheese and the remaining Swiss cheese.
  • Top the cheese with the remaining bread pieces.
  • Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the foil and bake until bubbly and the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes.
  • Garnish the casserole with the parsley and serve.
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