You know what? It’s time for a getaway. Time to trek out into the wilderness and into the wonderful, flower-filled country, to find a lovely little cottage just to unwind in. And when the sun finally sets on a beautiful day, it’s time to settle in with an equally lovely meal. Cottage-Getaway Casserole is just such a meal; filled with chicken and buttery baguette slices, this is a comforting, cheesy, and tasty meal befitting a little cottage comfort. It’s infused with the richness and beefy flavor of French onion soup, with plenty of caramelized onions to ensure that each bite is golden and sweet. Cottage-Getaway Casserole is a whole country vacation in a dish.
Ingredients
For the baguette:
- 3/4 of a standard-size baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices
- extra-virgin olive oil, to taste, for drizzling
- 1 1/2 cups Gruyère cheese, shredded and divided
- 1 1/2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded and divided
For the chicken:
- 3 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
For the casserole:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups onion, sliced
- 3/4 cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 teaspoon all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups low-sodium beef broth
- parsley, freshly chopped, for garnish
Directions
Step 1 –Heat the oven broiler to medium.
Step 2 –Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet.
Step 3 –Drizzle the slices with the olive oil and sprinkle them with 1/2 cup of the Gruyère cheese and 1/2 cup of the Swiss cheese.
Step 4 –Broil until the cheese is melted and the bread pieces are golden, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 5 –Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 6 –In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the pepper, the salt, 2 tablespoons of the flour, the cornstarch, the garlic powder, and the thyme.
Step 7 –In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining olive oil.
Step 8 –Brown both sides of the coated chicken in the oil, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 9 –Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Step 10 –Add the onion and the white wine to the same skillet and stir to deglaze.
Step 11 –Cover and cook until the onions are translucent, about 4 minutes.
Step 12 –Remove the lid and continue to cook the onions at medium-high heat until no liquid remains.
Step 13 –Add the butter to the onions and reduce the heat to medium.
Step 14 –Continue to cook the onions, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until they look golden, about 10 minutes.
Step 15 –Stir the remaining flour into the caramelized onions and cook until the flour smell disappears, about 2 minutes.
Step 16 –Slowly stir the broth into the onion mixture and let it simmer for 2 minutes.
Step 17 –Turn off the stovetop heat.
Step 18 –Place 1/2 of the toasted bread pieces in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Step 19 –Pour 1/2 of the onion mixture on top of the bread and top with the chicken.
Step 20 –Add 1/2 cup of the Gruyère cheese and 1/2 cup of the Swiss cheese in an even layer on top of the chicken.
Step 21 –Add the remaining onion mixture on top of the cheese.
Step 22 –Top the onion with the remaining Gruyère cheese and the remaining Swiss cheese.
Step 23 –Top the cheese with the remaining bread pieces.
Step 24 –Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Step 25 –Remove the foil and bake until bubbly and the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes.
Step 26 –Garnish the casserole with the parsley and serve.
