CHICKEN CASSEROLE WITH MASHED POTATO TOPPING RECIPES

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender., Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook chicken, carrots and onions over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in flour, tomato paste, salt, pepper and thyme. Add chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 6-8 minutes or until thickened., Preheat oven to 400°. Divide mixture between two greased 13x9-in. baking dishes. Drain potatoes; place in a large bowl. Add milk and butter; mash until smooth. Stir in cheese. Spread over chicken mixture., Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until bubbly.
  Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked casseroles up to 3 months. To use, thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 400°. Bake, uncovered, 50-55 minutes or until bubbly.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°. Season the chicken breast with 1/8 teaspoon each of sea salt and freshly ground pepper. In a small pan, heat the extra-virgin olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 1 minute. Turn the chicken, reduce the heat, cover the pan and cook for 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, leave covered for 10 minutes, then shred the chicken with 2 forks.
• Meanwhile, scrub the potatoes well, quarter them and cook in a medium pot of boiling salted water for 10 minutes, until they are soft. Drain and roughly mash the potatoes.
• Meanwhile, arrange the bacon on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until the bacon is quite crispy. Remove from the oven, let cool and then crumble.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, water, garlic and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• In an 8-inch-square baking dish, combine the potatoes, bacon and cream cheese sauce. Bake uncovered in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.