Sausage Stuffing Topped Chicken Casserole





Sausage Apple Stuffing Topped Chicken Casserole

This Sausage Stuffing topped Chicken Casserole brings the flavors of the holidays to your table any night of the week.   As soon as the cool weather begins to blow in my mind starts to wanders towards the holiday menu.  In my family, Thanksgiving SCREAMS for a large batch of Sausage Apple Stuffing to go along with that holiday bird.  One year I had a good bit of the stuffing left over.  I also had enough leftover turkey, gravy, and veggies to assemble a casserole similar to this one.  In that version the casserole was topped with mashed potatoes on one half and stuffing on the other.  My kids still rave about it today.  This faster version is not identical to my legendary leftover masterpiece, but it certainly ranks a  close second.   And this version is so simple you can enjoy a taste of the holidays any night of the week.     

Ingredients for the Stuffing:

·         6 cups of gluten free dry seasoned stuffing cubes *

·         ½ lb Italian sausage

·         2 tablespoons butter

·         1 rib of celery

·         1 onion

·         1 apple

·         salt and pepper

·         1 ½ cups of chicken stock, make sure its gluten free

*   Step by step instructions on how to make your own gluten free stuffing cubes are covered in the video.

Ingredients for the Chicken Stew

·         2 cups chicken stock

·         2 cups of diced cooked chicken

·         2 carrots, peeled & cut into medium pieces

·         ¾ cup peas

·         ¾ cup green beans

·         8 mushrooms sliced

·         2 tablespoons cornstarch 

·         2 tablespoons water

·         ¼ cup heavy cream

Video Tutorial:

Instructions

1.      Remove the sausage from its casing and crumble it into a large sauté pan over a medium heat and cook until browned.

2.      Add the butter, onions, and celery then continue sautéing for 3 minutes before adding the apples then sauté for an additional 2 minutes.

3.      Add 1 ½ cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and gently stir in the dried bread cubes.  Cover and set aside while you make the stew.

4.      In a medium pot bring 2 cups of stock to a boil.  Add the carrots simmer for 2 minutes then add the green beans and mushrooms then simmer for another two minutes while you make the cornstarch slurry.

5.      Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water until smooth and add it to the stock and vegetable mixture then simmer for another minute before removing the pot from the heat and stirring in the peas, cream and chicken.

6.      Pour the stew into the bottom of a greased 9x12 casserole dish then spoon over the stuffing.  For a crispier top, you could add 1 tablespoon of butter diced into small pieces then scattered over the top before baking in a preheated 350°F or 180°C for 30 minutes.