Chicken Casserole with Potatoes and Onions

 

It recently occurred to me to try a smaller version of Mom’spork chop and potato casserole, substituting chicken for the pork chops.  I had organic chicken breasts in the freezer, and I was thinking if I pounded them into cutlets, the texture might be similar to the pork, and chicken might work in the recipe.  So here’s my chicken version of the casserole: 

 

Ingredients: 

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 medium potatoes, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

Salt and pepper

Lawry’s seasoned salt

¼ cup flour

1 cup milk

  

Instructions: 

- In bottom of a 2-quart lightly greased casserole dish, arrange a layer of onions, then a layer of potatoes.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

- Add milk. 

 

- Place chicken breasts between layers of plastic wrap.  Pound into flat cutlets with the flat side of a large meat mallet. 

- Place the chicken cutlets on top of the potatoes.  Sprinkle chicken lightly with Lawry’s seasoned salt.  Dust with flour.  (I decided to forgo the flour this time.  I don’t really think the flour adds much to the dish.) 

- Add another layer of potatoes.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

- Cover and bake at 350° for 60 minutes.  Test doneness of potatoes and chicken with a fork.  I like my chicken to fall apart easily without having to cut with a knife. 

- Top casserole with cheddar cheese.  Return to oven, uncovered for 10 minutes. 

 

Mom’s Pork Chop Casserole with Potatoes and Onions

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This simple family friendly pork chop casserole was one of my favorite Sunday dinner meals when I was growing up, and by “dinner” I mean lunch.  Most everybody I grew up with called the noon meal “dinner,” and evening meal “supper”. 

Mom would prepare this casserole, with pork chops and potatoes thicker than the photos in my photo, and the oven temp a bit lower, so that it could bake for 90 minutes.  She’d pop it into the oven right before walking out the door for church, and we’d pull it out when we got home.  Then I for one, would gorge on this great casserole. 

 

Pork Chop Casserole Recipe

5 medium potatoes sliced about 3/8” thick

2 medium onions sliced about 3/8” thick

Salt and pepper

6 pork chops

½ cup flour

2 cups milk

1 ½ cups cheddar cheese or 6 oz cheddar, sliced thin

 

Instructions 

- In the bottom of a large sized, lightly greased casserole dish, arrange a layer of onions, sliced but not separated.  Sprinkle with salt. 

 

- Top with a layer of potatoes.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

- Add milk. 

- Arrange pork chops on top of potatoes and dust liberally with flour.  I used thin sliced boneless pork chops.  My mom always used bone-in pork chops, of medium thickness. 

 

- Repeat with a layer of potatoes.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

- Cover and bake at 350° for 60 minutes.  Test doneness of potatoes and pork chops with a fork. 

- Top with cheddar cheese.  Return to oven, and bake uncovered for 10 more minutes to melt cheese.  If desired, use speed bake or broiler to brown slightly before removing from oven. 

 

 

 

I don’t know why casseroles get such a bad reputation.  This simple and delicious pork chop casserole makes a fantastic meal.  Just add a vegetable or salad. 

The milk and juices from the pork chops and onions are also delicious.  Put a slice of bread in a bowl and cover with the juice, and you’ve got another delicious treat. 
 

Mom's Salmon Stew

 

My Salmon Stew made with a wild caught salmon fillet

 

Salmon stew is a great cold weather treat, which I have enjoyed since childhood.  Unfortunately it’s rarely cold in South Texas, and cool for only a short stretch of the calendar, but I eat it anyway! 

I don’t recall ever seeing fresh salmon in the grocery store when I was growing up, and it would have been a bit pricy on our working class budget.  My mom made salmon stew with canned salmon.  I make it with a salmon fillet, which elevates it 100%. 

Salmon stew is actually easy to make.  All you need is salmon, milk, onions, potatoes, a little butter, and some seasoning.  Most would probably call this salmon chowder, but we never had “chowder” at my house. 

It’s always amazing to me that something so simple could be so satisfying and delicious.  We always make sure we make enough to have leftovers. 

 

Salmon Stew Ingredients

1/2 medium wild caught salmon fillet, about 1 lb

2 medium potatoes, diced small

1 medium onion, diced fine

2 cans evaporated milk

1 qt of whole milk or 1 qt of heavy cream

½ stick butter

2 tsp seasoned salt

 

 

Outline of Instructions

Sprinkle salmon fillet with seasoned salt and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 to 30 minutes. 

Simmer onions in 4 cups water in a large pot for about 10 minutes. 

Add diced potatoes and simmer for another 10 minutes. 

Add milk and butter. 

Separate salmon from skin and remove any bones.  Break into pieces and add to pot. 

Heat thoroughly over low heat, but do not boil, about 15 minutes. 

 

Instructions, Long Version

Line baking pan with foil.  Place salmon fillet, skin side down.  Sprinkle with seasoned salt such as Lawry’s.  Sometimes I use Lawry’s garlic powder with parsley, or Paul Prudhomme’s salmon seasoning. 

Bake salmon fillet at 350 degrees for about 20 to 30 minutes.  I often bake salmon ahead of time, so that it can cool and be easier to separate from the skin and break into bite-sized chunks.  Remove any bones too.  Sometimes I bake a whole fillet, and put half in the freezer for my next salmon stew. 

 

In a 4 to 6 quart stock pot or Dutch oven, add 4 cups of water and finely diced onions.  Simmer for about 10 minutes.  If you don’t bake salmon ahead of time, start onions while salmon is baking. 

Add diced potatoes and cook another 10 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender.  Then pour off any water in excess of 2 cups.  Do not drain completely, because the onions impart a lot of flavor to the water. 

Add milk.  I like salmon stew with a rich taste, so I usually use evaporated milk and heavy cream or whipping cream.  Since I reserve some of the water from the potatoes and onions, I don’t dilute the evaporated milk further.  Sometimes I use one can of regular and one can of low fat or fat free evaporated milk.  I also use one quart of heavy cream or whipping cream.  You could use half and half, which is less expensive than whipping cream.  If you want to keep the fat content down, you could use whole milk, low fat, or skim. 

Add butter (or skip butter if you want to keep the fat down).  Add salmon chunks. 

Heat thoroughly, but do not boil.

We usually serve with ketchup, 1-2 tablespoons per serving of stew.  My dad and brother like to put crumbled Saltine crackers in their stew. 

 

 

Mom's Hamburger Stew

 

This is my recipe for my Mom’s Hamburger Stew.  We never had Chili Beans when I was growing up.  I guess this was our version of Chili. 

Hamburger Stew was an entrée Mom made when I was a kid, and something I continue to enjoy.  In fact, I could eat myself silly on Hamburger Stew.  That makes it dangerous!  It’s a great treat when the weather is cold, but the weather seldom gets cold in South Texas.  That doesn’t stop me from preparing this hardy meal though. 

Hamburger Stew is quick and easy to prep, with a few simple ingredients.  All you need is lean hamburger meat, tomatoes, onions, potatoes and some seasoning.  Simmer for approximately 50 minutes, and then enjoy this delicious treat. 

  

HAMBURGER STEW

2 cans diced tomatoes

24 to 32 ounces tomato juice

1 large can water

2 medium onions, chopped

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

2 lbs lean hamburger

4 tsp Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, divided

1 TBSP Lawry’s Garlic Powder with Parsley

½ tsp Black pepper

2 TBSP Chili powder

 

 

Gather Your Ingredients

You’ll need a large pot.  I use a well-seasoned Revereware Dutch oven pot.  I’m also partial to Lawry’s seasoned salt and garlic powder.  You can use a variety of tomato products, such as diced or stewed tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato puree &/or tomato juice. 

 

 

Season Meat and Cook in Dutch Oven

Place hamburger in a large Dutch oven pot, and sprinkle with Lawry’s Seasoned Salt and Lawry’s Garlic Powder with Parsley.  Break meat apart with a spoon.

 

 

Cook Meat

Add diced onions to the pot with the hamburger.  Cook meat and onions until meat is done.  I don’t drain the meat.  The fat adds a lot of flavor.  Dip from the center to avoid the fat.  I always make enough for leftovers, and the fat is easy to remove after it’s been refrigerated. 

 

 

Add Tomatoes and Seasoning

Add tomatoes and water.  Add pepper, chili powder, and additional seasoned salt. 

You can prepare Hamburger Stew with a variety of tomato products.  I often use whatever I have on hand.  Sometimes I use a large can of tomato juice.  My mother used to make it with condensed tomato soup and water.  You could use stewed or diced tomatoes, or crushed tomatoes or tomato puree.  You could also use tomato juice and tomato paste.  You could even throw in a little spaghetti sauce. 

 

 

Simmer Meat and Tomatoes

Cover meat and tomato mixture, and simmer for 30 minutes. 

 

 

Add Potatoes

Add diced potatoes to meat and tomato mixture. 

 

 

Simmer Until Done

Cover and simmer hamburger stew another 20 minutes, or until potatoes are done. 

 

 

Serve and Enjoy Your Hamburger Stew

I dip myself up a big bowl of stew, and let it cool for 5-8 minutes. 

My dad likes crumbled Saltine crackers in most soups and stews, and this one is no exception.  I just need a very large bowl, and a spoon! 

Sometimes I like to mix a little leftover Hamburger Stew into my vegetable soup.