Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I bet many of you can just taste that turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing.  I didn’t used to enjoy Thanksgiving meal much….I found it too bland and boring for my tastes.  I still much prefer some spicy tangy Mediterranean or Italian dish to a meat and potatoes meal but I have learned to appreciate the subtle flavors of Thanksgiving Day, especially stuffing. This casserole, however, is NOT intended to be a substitute to the traditional Thanksgiving meal, rather it’s just an easy, family friendly recipe that is great all fall and winter.  Hopefully you get some homemade stuffing on Thanksgiving Day but Stove Top comes in handy for this casserole.  I got the recipe from my friend Blaire many years ago.  It’s straight up comfort food (don’t make it or even think about it when you are on a cleanse or a clean food kick), but I have tried to lighten it up a bit.  I don’t make many casseroles but this is one that the kids love.  Mom won’t be around for dinner the next few days so I doubled the recipe and have plenty of leftovers for the family to eat.  This would also be great to make right after thanksgiving with leftover turkey in place of the chicken.

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole (Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half or thirds

1 6 oz. box chicken stuffing (whole grain variety if possible)

1 cup mozzerella cheese

1 cup swiss cheese

1/4 cup parmasean cheese

1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup, reduced fat

1/3 cup skim milk

1/2 stick butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray medium sized casserole pan (I use a 7×12 in pan) with non-stick spray.  In pan, mix together stuffing and amount of water indicated on stuffing package (Stove Top 6 oz pkg calls for 1 1/2 cups of water).  Top wet stuffing with pats of butter.  Add chicken to the top of the stuffing.  Add soup (do not add water) to the top of the chicken.  Add about 1/3 cup milk on top of everything to help it stay moist.  Cover with cheeses.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.  Check that chicken is cooked through.  Serve with green beans, broccoli, salad or anything green!