Description

Need an easy to make casserole for your busy nights? This one is simple to make and filling. It's warm and gooey, made with layers of chicken, ham and cheese in a wonderful sauce and then is finished with a crunchy breadcrumb topping.

Ingredients

• 1 whole cooked chicken, bones removed, meat diced or shredded (rotisserie chicken is excellent, 5-6 cups)
• 1/2 lb. very thinly sliced deli-style honey ham, rough chopped
• 1/4 lb. thinly sliced baby Swiss cheese
• Sauce:
• 4 T. butter
• 4T. flour
• 3 1/4 c. milk
• 2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 T. dijon mustard
• 1/2 t. smoked paprika
• 1/4 t. pepper
• salt, to taste
• Topping:
• 6 T. unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2 t. crushed dried parsley
• salt and pepper, to taste

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter/grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish; set aside.
2. Put cooked shredded or diced chicken on the bottom of the baking dish. Rough chop the ham; scatter over the top of the chicken; place Swiss cheese on top of the ham.
3. Sauce: Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When melted, quickly stir in flour to form a smooth roux; do not brown. Once roux is smooth and bubbly, slowly pour in the cold milk, stirring briskly to make a smooth sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until sauce thickens. Stir in the lemon juice, mustard, salt, paprika and white pepper. Bring sauce just back to a low boil; turn off heat. Pour sauce evenly over the casserole, making sure some sauce is around the edges of the pan.