Chesapeake Chicken (And Crab) Casserole
Tags: Chicken Crab Dinner Seafood
Yield: 4
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of celery soup
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 + ½ teaspoons Old Bay or seafood seasoning, divided
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 1 pound lump crab meat, drained
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup shredded jack cheese
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Place cream of celery soup, mayonnaise, egg, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and 1 teaspoon of Old Bay in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Spoon half of the mixture into a 13x9-inch casserole dish.
- Add the chicken broth to the casserole dish and whisk to combine. Set the casserole dish aside.
- Add the crab meat to the bowl with the reserved mixture from step 2 and gently stir to combine. Set aside.
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels.
- Butterfly the chicken breasts by cutting a slit in the center of each breast, slicing only ¾ of the way through the center meat, and leaving about ½ inch of clearance at the top and bottom of the breast.
- Turn the knife sideways and cut a pocket into the left side of the breast, slicing only ¾ of the way through the meat and entering in through the first cut you made. Again, do not cut into the top and bottom clearance.
- Repeat that same slicing motion from step 8 on the right side of the chicken breast, gently pulling the left and right sides of the chicken breast outward to reveal a larger pocket in the center.
- Season the prepped chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and the remaining (½ teaspoon) Old Bay seasoning.
- Nestle the seasoned chicken breasts into the sauced casserole dish.
- Spoon the crab mixture into the center of each breast, making sure to stuff each pocket as full as possible. Spoon any excess crab mix over the chicken breasts.
- Once all the chicken breasts have been stuffed, sprinkle each with a hearty handful of cheese (about ¼ cup per breast).
- Cover the casserole dish loosely with foil, place in the oven, and bake for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the crushed crackers and melted butter in a medium bowl. Stir to combine.
- Remove the casserole from the oven, remove the foil, and top with the cracker crumb mixture.
- Return to the oven and continue to bake for 10–15 minutes, or until the casserole has reached an internal temperature of 165 F. (Cover with foil if your cracker crumbs are browning too quickly).
- Remove from the oven and garnish with chopped chives before serving.
