Print the recipe card! chicken stove top dressing casserole
This is a family favorite recipe that can be made shelf stable by using freeze dried celery and onions instead of fresh and canned butter for the stuffing. I love the water chestnuts in it — they add a texture variation that you don’t often find in food storage recipes. Because I prefer the taste of making the dressing from scratch rather than using Stove Top, that’s what I’ve done here (the recipe for that is below in the notes).
makes 8-10 servings
Prep Time: active prep time 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
3 10 oz. cans chicken
2 cans water chestnuts, sliced
1 c. mayonnaise
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 pkgs. Stove Top dressing (chicken flavor)
2 cups freeze dried celery (or 2 cups fresh celery as a 3 month meal)
Dried onion flakes
1 can chicken broth
8 TBS canned butter
Instructions:
Grease 13 x 9 inch casserole. Spread water chestnuts in bottom first followed by the celery. Layer canned chicken and then sprinkle dried onions over chicken. Mix mayo and soup and spread over chicken. Melt 1/4 cup canned butter in pan. Add stuffing with 2 cups broth or water. Stir to heat on the stove for a few minutes and then spread over casserole. Bake 30 – 45 minutes at 350.
After making the stuffing and layering it on top, bake for 30 – 45 minutes.
Num num.
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Additional Notes:
- You’ll notice I’ve included fresh celery in my version here, this is the way I’d make it in my 3 month plan. I’ve posted some links that talk about storing vegetables, specifically celery, at the bottom of August 2nd’s post. As a long term meal layer freeze dried celery instead– there’s no need to rehydrate it first.
- As a 3 month meal I’d use butter that I’ve stored frozen rather than using canned butter.
- When purchasing the mayonnaise for this recipe buy the smallest amount you can. Shown here is an 11 oz size, measuring out to just a little over one cup of mayonnaise, just the right amount. By buying small you won’t have any go to waste if there isn’t a refrigerator available to store the extra.
- In making the stuffing I wouldn’t see any reason why (as a long term meal) butter powder couldn’t be substituted for the canned butter which is very expensive. A comment from a reader just got me thinking about this. I only use butter powder as a seasoning to help with flavor (big red sign: it’s never going to be something you’d want to spread on toast) but it would probably work in this recipe. 1/4 cup of butter powder is equivalent to 4 TBS butter — when I try it out I’ll start with 1/8 of a cup (6 tsp.) to see how it tastes and let you know.
In my book this recipe is used as a:
*Long Term Recipe
*Sun Oven Recipe
*3 month Recipe
Homemade seasoned stuffing
Ingredients:
4 cups dried bread cubes and crumbs
1/4 tsp. lemon pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. dried chives
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
dash celery seed
2 tsp. dried onions
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/8 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. powdered chicken bouillon
4 TBS canned butter
Instructions:
Cut bread into 1/2 inch cubes and spread on a cookie sheet to bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees and continue baking for 2 hours. Remove dried bread and add seasonings. Heat 1 3/4 cups of water or broth to boiling and add 4 TBS butter to melt. Remove from heat and add dried bread and seasonings and let sit for 5 minutes.
I just discovered this site last night…I think this is incredible what you are doing. I have been looking for shelf-stable recipes to build my food storage around. Thank you so much!
I’m so glad you found it Sandy! Welcome!! Be sure to pass it along to those you know. 🙂
Another good “crunch” addition to this and many other storage recipes is chopped or slivered nuts. I didn’t have the water chestnuts or celery handy when I made this the last time, but I substituted some almonds and walnuts and they added some good tooth.
If you bake your own bread or have a family that doesn’t like heels or crusts, I always save those bits (and any stale slices) from every loaf to cube up and dry for stuffing or grind for breadcrumbs. It’s easy to season and toast them up in a warm oven or stovetop after you’re done cooking the main meal. I store mine in quart jars and use the vacuum sealer’s canning jar adapter to make sure they’re air and humidity proof. I usually have two or three quarts in the pantry, one plain and the others seasoned… they make excellent additions to meatballs, fried fish/chicken, and croutons in soups and salads.
Super! Thanks!
Do you store the dried bread or do you dry it when you are going to make the recipe? If you store it, is it just in the pantry?
I usually dry it before making it only because it takes a while to make a batch. I have stored it in the pantry before though and it was fine– I’ve stored the dried bread mixed with the seasonings. Just make sure it’s in an air tight container and use it within 1-2 months. Another suggestion that you could try would be to freeze it (up to 6 months) — if you have a foodsaver, vaccuum sealing it would keep it even longer. As far as my long term plan for this meal goes though I’d have the choice between using Stove Top (quick and easy — so I do store it) and making my own bread the day before to make it from scratch.
Sorry if I missed something, but is this considered shelf stable because you have all the ingredients? You use butter in the homemade recipe. Is that something you have stored? I am new to long term food storage. Thank you.
Yes, if you look closely at the pictured ingredients I’ve stored canned butter (Red Feather Brand). You might also be able to get away with a couple tsp. of butter powder (the brand I store for that is Provident Pantry) since it’s just for flavor.