Potato Topped Chicken Casserole (or Chicken Topped Potato Casserole in my case ha ha)

This recipe was contributed by: Mary Ann Dell from Phoenixville Pennsylvania. She wrote: A friend gave me this easy, fast and delicious recipe. Any cheese you have on hand will work fine. It's perfect for those nights when you want something hearty and homemade.

Yield: 2 casseroles (6 servings each)

4 lbs medium red potatoes, quartered
3 lbs ground chicken
4 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tbs tomato paste
1-1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1/3 tsp minced fresh thyme
1-1/4 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
6 tbs butter, cubed
1-3/4 cups (7 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

::Place potatoes in 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 the chicken, carrots and onions over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the flour, tomato paste, salt, pepper and thyme. Add chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 6-8 minutes or until thickened.

::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.

::Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Bake the remaining casserole, uncovered, at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly.

::to use frozen casserole: Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 400 for 50-55 minutes or until bubbly.

I still have yet to purchase a dutch oven! So here's how I made this casserole:

I used 4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. Put the chicken, chopped carrots, chopped onion, tomato paste, salt, pepper, thyme, and chicken broth in crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

30 minutes before chicken is done, start the potatoes. I just boiled mine on the stove top for 20 minutes until they were soft. I didn't use butter or milk for the potatoes, I used sour cream!

Drain chicken and shred with forks. I spread the mashed potatoes in the bottom of the casserole dish, topped with chicken, and drained the chopped carrots and onions and added them to the top of the chicken. Topped with cheese and baked at 400 for 15 minutes until the cheese was melted and bubbly.

Our whole family LOVED this recipe! It turned out so yummy! I just made one great big casserole instead of two, and it fed our family of 3 dinner, and lunch for the next 2 days! This is definitely one you HAVE to try and one that I will be making more of and freezing for crazy work days!