Chicken & Cheese Casserole

Put the whole chickens (I used 1 large and 1/2 a small chicken) into a baking dish and spice with poultry seasoning, Emeril’s essence and Lawry’s seasoned salt. Roast it in a 350 F oven for 90 minutes. When done, remove chicken from the oven and let it cool, then pull it off the bones and shred chicken. Then put the meat into a bowl and mix with mayonnaise, diced celery, diced yellow onion, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

Take your sliced French bread, and cut off the crusts and put the crusts in the bottom of a lightly buttered baking dish (I used a large oval dish, see photo) and reserve the insides and cut them into cubes. Add the chicken mixture into the dish and finish by adding the French bread pieces on top.

Then combine 3 eggs, 1 cup half-and-half and 1 cup of skim milk and pour on top of bread and chicken mixture. This is best if at this point you cover it and refrigerate overnight.

Before baking, make the bechamel sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then stirring in the flour and cooking for 1 minute. Remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly whisk in the chicken broth, half-and-half and skim milk. Season with salt and pepper. Return to heat and cook for 10-12 more minutes.

Now pour the bechamel sauce over the chicken and bread mixture and put in a 350 F oven for 45 minutes. Then remove it from the oven and top with cheddar cheese and bake for another 8-10 minutes.