Improving on Comfort

When Campbell's got the bright idea to combine a can of soup, a can of tuna, and some noodles, and then bake them together to create the now-iconic tuna-noodle casserole, folks in the test kitchen were in step with the American home cook. Recipes built around canned goods were considered modern at the time. Creamed chicken on toast has the same roots. Today, however, our taste is more sophisticated, fresh vegetables are vastly more available, and we prefer to leave most of the cans in the cupboard. In this updated creamed chicken, we add morsels of meat to a simple sauce made with chicken stock. It can be served over toast - the old-fashioned way - or packed into a baking dish and covered with thick slices of bread, which brown in the oven and form a good-looking crust over the savory filling. Our tuna-noodle casserole has a milky bechamel sauce with peas and cheddar and is spooned over (rather than baked with) wide noodles. To turn the idea into dinner for vegetarians, spoon a saucy mixture of parsnips, sweet potatoes, and broccoli over toast. Comfort is no longer retro.

CREAMED CHICKEN CASSEROLE WITH TOAST CRUST

SERVES 4

Butter (for the dishes)
1 chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), cooked
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups chicken stock, heated until hot, or more to taste
2 Salt and pepper, to taste
2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 cup frozen peas
4 thick slices sandwich bread
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Set the oven at 375 degrees. Have on hand a 10-inch baking dish or two 5-inch dishes. Butter them well.

Remove and discard the skin and bones from the chicken. With your hands, tear the meat into 2- inch pieces.

In a large flameproof casserole, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the hot stock, still stirring. The mixture will thicken right away. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook over low heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes. If the sauce seems too thick, add more chicken stock 2 tablespoons at a time. The sauce should be the consistency of heavy cream.

Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sauce into a bowl. Wipe out the casserole, then add the remaining tablespoons of butter to the pan. Add the onion, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the thyme.

Add the chicken pieces and the peas to the pan, then the sauce. Cook over low heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until the chicken and peas are warmed through. Add the parsley.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish or dishes.

Cut the bread into quarters. Lay it, overlapping, on the chicken mixture so the bread covers the sauce.

Bake the casserole for 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling at the sides of the dish and the bread is golden brown. Serve at once.

CREAMED CHICKEN ON TOAST
SERVES 4

In this presentation, the chicken mixture is served over toast. Follow the recipe for creamed chicken casserole with toast crust, but instead of baking, simmer the mixture in the pan for an additional 5 minutes without adding the parsley. Toast the bread, cut it into quarters, and divide it among 4 plates. Spoon the creamed chicken on top, then sprinkle with parsley, and serve at once.

CREAMED TUNA WITH PEAS AND CHEDDAR ON NOODLES

SERVES 4

2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk, heated until hot Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 cans (6 ounces each) tuna in oil, drained and flaked
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 pound wide noodles, cooked according to package directions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

In a large flameproof casserole, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, still stirring, for 2 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat. Add the milk gradually, stirring constantly. Return the pan to the heat. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, still stirring.

Stir in the tuna. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the peas and cook 5 minutes more, stirring often. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like. Remove the pan from the heat. Fold in the cheddar.

Divide the noodles among 4 shallow bowls. Spoon the tuna mixture on top, sprinkle with parsley, and serve at once.