Lightened Up Smothered Chicken Casserole Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 2 1/2-quart casserole with cooking spray. In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs; sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. Cook chicken 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and juice of chicken is clear when thickest part is cut (at least 165°F).
• Cook pasta as directed on package; drain. In large bowl, mix soup, half-and-half and paprika; reserve 3/4 cup sauce. Stir in cooked pasta and frozen broccoli.
• Place pasta mixture in casserole; top with chicken thighs. Spoon reserved sauce over chicken thighs. Top with bacon. Cover and bake 20 minutes; uncover and bake 10 to 15 minutes or until sauce bubbles.

Steps:

• Brown the chicken: Heat 2 large skillets over high heat. Add half of the oil to each. Arrange the chicken on a tray in a single layer and season with salt. Turn the pieces over and season the other side. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, carefully add the chicken, skin side down, to the skillets, leaving space between each piece of chicken. Reduce the heat to medium and allow the chicken to brown on their first side, 5 to 8 minutes. Resist the temptation to move or turn the pieces. Use metal tongs to carefully turn the chicken pieces to their second side and brown 3 to 5 additional minutes. Transfer the chicken pieces to a tray and set aside.
• Prepare the garlic: Grate 6 of the cloves of garlic and set aside for the sauce. Cut the remaining 12 cloves in half lengthwise.
• Make the sauce: In one of the skillets you cooked the chicken in, add the cumin and coriander and stir rapidly over medium-low heat to give them a quick toast, 10 to 15 seconds. Immediately add the onions and grated garlic. Season with salt and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onions turn light brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon stick, pepper flakes, bay leaves and tomatoes. Allow the tomatoes to cook, breaking them apart with a spoon as they cook, 8 to 10 minutes, and then add 1 cup water.
• Toast the garlic cloves: In the other skillet the you cooked the chicken in, arrange the garlic halves in a single layer in the cooking grease. Toast the garlic over low heat until golden brown and crisped, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the garlic from the skillet, sprinkle with salt and drain on a kitchen towel.
• Finish cooking the chicken: Arrange the chicken pieces, skin side up, in the sauce. Cover the skillet, keep the heat low and continue cooking until the pieces are cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the cover and stir in the ginger, cream and vinegar. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 additional minutes.
• Test the center of a thigh to make sure the chicken is cooked through. It should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the juices should run "clear," not pink. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Top with the toasted garlic and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Marinate chicken breasts in caesar dressing for at least 3 hours, up to overnight. Cook bacon until crisp, remove from pan and drain off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat. Heat pan to medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and cook in bacon fat until well browned. You don't have to cook the chicken through, just get some color on it. Remove chicken from pan and place in a 9×13″ casserole dish. Drain off all the bacon fat from the pan and add butter. Once melted, stir in the onion and mushrooms. Cook until soft and starting to caramelize, 5-7 minutes. Stir flour into the onions and mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Stir broth and cream into the flour mixture and bring to boil, constantly stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in salt, pepper, lemon juice, cheese, and parsley and pour over the chicken in the casserole dish. Top with fresh tomatoes and bake at 350°F, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and chicken is cooked through. While the chicken is baking, cook angel hair pasta to al dente on the stovetop and drain. Remove chicken from the oven, stir pasta into the sauce and serve topped with crumbled bacon and more fresh parsley.