Baked Chicken & Stuffing

As soon as I saw this recipe in a small recipe booklet (purchased for $2.99 at a restaurant from Lancaster County, I think it was in Bird-In-Hand), I knew I'd love it. It has all the flavors I like... almost like Thanksgiving without turkey and sage. :)

I made it almost as the recipe directed but "tweaked" it as I didn't need quite as much meat. Christopher and I both loved it but hubby doesn't care for dressing, even at Thanksgiving so he tolerated it. I might try different herbs & spices some day.

Plain & Fancy Restaurant's
Baked Chicken & Stuffing

Ingredients:

4 cups diced, cooked chicken
(I used three rather large, cooked chicken breasts, which was two cups)

1 cup margarine (butter here)
(I used one stick of butter to begin with and then melted 1/2 a stick and poured it over everything after one hour of baking)

1 Cup onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk

20 slices white bread, cubed (I just tore it into pieces)
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper (always more pepper here)

1 cup chicken broth (a little more reserved if needed)

Melt butter in sauce pan with onion and celery, saute. Do not brown.

Combine milk, eggs, onions, celery and bread cubes in large bowl and mix until moistened. (I knew I was going to make this so I purchased a bag of white bread at the surplus bread store.)

In greased roasting pan (I used a 9 x 13 dish), place half of filling, then the chicken, and then the rest of the filling. When finished layering, pour broth on top.

Place in a preheated 325 degrees oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Add a little more broth if needed while baking. I checked it after one hour, added a little melted butter for additional flavoring (but you could probably get by without that, cutting your butter consumption in half). I baked it another twenty minutes or so. Baking it in a 9 x 13 dish shortens the baking time a bit.

When finished, remove from oven and serve hot with chicken gravy (obviously only if you have made chicken gravy).

The booklet said the Amish call this "Roast" and it is often served at weddings and other large gatherings.