Chicken & Carrot Casserole: Comfort Food Perfect for Cold Days

It’s gray and cold outside, the rain is coming down, or perhaps the seasons are changing. While outside may look dreary, it also means that the perfect casserole weather has arrived. Casseroles are quick to prepare and provide a feeling of warmth and comfort, indeed they are a great companion! Our chicken & carrot casserole is no exception.

Chicken & Carrot Casserole: Our Must-Have Recipe

Is there anything better than getting cozy on the couch after a long day in the cold fall weather and enjoying a plate of warm, comforting casserole? Not for us. That’s why casseroles and gratins are so often on our tables in those dark days. They do you good and warm you up from the inside out just as well as any stew.

Every now and then, we crave a heavier meat-leaning dish. In those moments, we turn to our tried and true chicken and carrot casserole. It’s made up of just a few ingredients and is incredibly manageable to make. Just like with any casserole the oven does the heavy lifting here.

For the chicken and carrot casserole, dice the chicken breast and fry it in a pan until golden brown. Once it’s done, set it aside. Then sauté onion and garlic in the same pan and add the sliced carrots to cook for about five minutes. Meanwhile, mix milk and cream to make a fantastically creamy sauce and season it with dried thyme, salt, and pepper. After this step, it’ll be time to add the meat and carrots to the baking dish. Pour the cream sauce over them and top generously with grated cheese. We personally prefer to use cheddar, but the casserole tastes great with other varieties as well. As with so much of cooking, it is all in your taste!

Once a golden brown cheese crust has formed, you will know your chicken and carrot casserole is ready. Personally, we serve it as is. If you’re craving more, some carbs are always a good choice and pasta or fresh bread for dipping will accompany the past nicely.

You can find even more recipes for warm and comforting dishes at Scrumdiddlyumptious, including our cheesy gnocchi casserole with cauliflower and kielbasa, bratwurst breakfast casserole or creamed spinach crepe casserole.

CHICKEN & CARROT CASSEROLE

• Prep time: 20 minutes
• Cook time: 30 minutes
• Total time: 50 minutes
• Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tsp butter for the dish, for greasing the baking pan
• 14 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb carrots
• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cups grated cheese
• 1 tsp dried thyme

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a baking dish with butter.
2. Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized cubes and season well with salt and pepper.
3. Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the chicken until golden brown on all sides. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
4. Wash and peel the carrots. Slice them thinly.
5. Chop onion and garlic into fine cubes. Sauté the onion until translucent and add the garlic. Add the carrots and sauté for 5 minutes over medium heat.
6. In a bowl, mix the cream with the milk. Season with salt, pepper and dried thyme. Add the fried chicken pieces and carrots to the prepared baking dish. Pour the milk and cream mixture over it and top with the grated cheese.
7. Place the casserole in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown and crispy.