Chicken Broccoli Casserole

This is a recipe I first made 25 years ago, babysitting for a family when my Megan was just an infant herself. One night the mom had left me instructions for it from some magazine and asked that I make it for the kids‘ supper. It was so delicious, I knew I had to recreate it at home. It was an instant hit with my family, and the kids squeal excitedly when they find out I’m making it for supper. Mind you, I don’t exactly measure much of anything, but the amounts I’ve listed are pretty accurate. ;)

The first thing you want to do is cook your chicken. If you’re using chicken breast, you can sauté it in a skillet or just boil it. I used chicken leg quarters and boiled them. When the chicken is cooked and cool enough to handle, cut into bite size pieces and set aside. Megan especially loves to help with this, removing the skin, fat, and bones, and then cutting the meat. Getting the kids involved with your cooking is a wonderful way to not only teach them cooking skills (and math!), but also build bonding through the shared work.

While the chicken is cooking, grate the cheddar cheese and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the cream of celery soup, milk, sour cream, seasoned salt, and black pepper.

Add the cheddar cheese and the French fried onions. I know I said 1 ½ cups of each, but I tend to be a little heavy handed and just may add a "teensy" bit more. ;)

Stir in the cut up chicken and the frozen broccoli. There’s no need to defrost the broccoli; just throw it in and mix.

Now, take the crescent rolls and unroll them onto a cutting board, not pulling apart. You can press them a little if you’d like to make it a little bigger. Cut into strips.

Pour the mixture into a 9 X 13 inch baking dish. Layer the strips of crescent rolls on top. I just laid some going one way and then others on top going the other way, but if you want to do a real lattice top, have at it. ;)

Bake in a 350° oven for about 45 minutes, until broccoli is tender and casserole is bubbling. Serve and enjoy! ~TMMF

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

2 chicken breasts or
   2 chicken leg quarters
   (about 2 c. worth)
1 1/2 lb. frozen broccoli florets
1 can cream of celery soup
3/4 c. milk
3/4 c. sour cream
2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 c. sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 c. French fried onions
1 can refrigerated crescent rolls