गुरुवार, 14 अक्तूबर 2021

Swiss Chicken Bake

Swiss chicken baked in a casserole dish.

Creamy Swiss Chicken Bake is absolutely delicious. Chicken breasts are smothered in an easy-to-make Swiss cheese sauce, covered in crispy, seasoned breadcrumbs, then baked until bubbly. It’s an easy chicken casserole the whole family will love!

If you love creamy chicken casserole recipes, also try this chicken divan, poppy seed chicken casserole, or chicken noodle casserole.

Swiss chicken baked in a casserole dish.

Swiss Chicken Bake

This is one incredible, family-loved recipe. Tender chicken breasts are cooked in a simple Swiss cheese sauce that is absolutely heavenly. Then we top the casserole with buttered breadcrumbs and the little crunchy bites are delicious with the creamy sauce.

Some Swiss chicken recipes call for using canned soup, but we skip that and replace it with a sauce that is nearly as easy to make as opening a can and is SO MUCH tastier.

After the Swiss chicken casserole goes into the oven, we put on a pot of rice and make some roasted broccoli – the cheese sauce is amazing on the broccoli! The whole dinner comes together with minimal effort and it’s always met with rave reviews at the table.

Ingredient notes

You likely have most of the ingredients to make this Swiss chicken casserole in your kitchen right now!

  • Butter, flour, and chicken stock: these three form the base of the cheese sauce.
  • Garlic powder, onion powder, and salt: we use these to add flavor to the sauce.
  • Swiss cheese: we buy sliced Swiss cheese and add some to the sauce and use extra to put on top of the chicken.
  • Sour cream: this lightens the cheese sauce and gives it a wonderful flavor.
  • Panko: this is used for the crispy topping. You can use regular breadcrumbs instead.
  • Butter: makes the panko get golden and extra crispy in the oven.
  • Italian seasoning: adds a great flavor to the crispy topping. Try this homemade Italian seasoning!
  • Chicken breasts: we use boneless, skinless breasts. You can also substitute chicken thighs.
4 pictures showing how to make this swiss chicken bake recipe.

How to make this Swiss chicken bake

You can make Swiss chicken in just 4 easy steps!

Making this Swiss chicken bake is really simple! See the recipe card below for the full details.
  1. Make the cheese sauce: Whisk some flour and butter in a small pot. Then add the chicken stock and spices and give it a minute to thicken. Finally, add the cheese and let it melt into the sauce. So easy!
  2. Make the buttered breadcrumbs: Mix some panko with melted butter and Italian seasoning.
  3. Assemble the casserole: Half of the cheese sauce goes into the bottom of your casserole dish. Then lay 4 seasoned chicken breasts on top and cover them with the rest of the sauce. Drape 4 Swiss cheese slices over the chicken then cover them with the buttered croutons.
  4. Bake the casserole: This step is as easy as putting the casserole dish into the oven. Keep an eye on it while it bakes and if the breadcrumbs get too brown, cover the casserole dish with foil.
Swiss chicken bake on a plate with rice and broccoli.

Recipe FAQs

Can this casserole be assembled ahead of time?

Yes! This casserole can be assembled up to 2 days in advance and stored covered in your fridge until you’re ready to bake it. The buttered panko can be prepared ahead of time, but it’s best added to the casserole right before it goes into the oven so that it doesn’t get soggy. You’ll need to add an extra 10-15 minutes to the baking time if you’re cooking it from cold.

Can I freeze this Swiss chicken bake?

Yes! Just like assembling this casserole ahead of time, it’s best to leave the panko off until it’s time to bake it. Wrap the assembled casserole tightly then freeze it for up to 3 months.

How long will the leftovers last?

Leftover Swiss chicken will keep well in your fridge for 3-4 days. They reheat beautifully so this is a great recipe to plan to take for lunch this week!

Can I use chicken thighs instead?

Chicken thighs can be used instead of breasts, but you’ll need to adjust the cooking time. Plan on using 8 chicken thighs and baking the casserole for 30-35 minutes.

A spatula lifting a piece of creamy Swiss chicken out of a casserole dish.
Swiss chicken baked in a casserole dish.
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Swiss Chicken Bake

Creamy Swiss Chicken Bake is absolutely delicious. Chicken breasts are smothered in an easy-to-make Swiss cheese sauce, covered in crispy, seasoned breadcrumbs, then baked until bubbly. It's an easy chicken casserole the whole family will love!
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Keyword swiss chicken, swiss chicken casserole
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 614kcal
Author Kristen Stevens

Ingredients

Swiss Cheese Sauce

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¼ cups chicken stock
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 4 slices Swiss cheese
  • ½ cup sour cream can be light

Swiss Chicken

  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 4 medium chicken breasts
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • Minced parsley to serve

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Butter the bottom of a 9×11 inch casserole dish.
  • Heat the butter in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and let it cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt, and whisk well. Continue to whisk until the stock thickens.
  • Add the swiss cheese to the pot and stir it into the sauce. Add the sour cream and stir once more.
  • In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, breadcrumbs, and Italian seasoning.
  • Gently pound the thickest part of the chicken using the palm of your hand until the breasts are even in thickness. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
  • Pour half of the cheese sauce into the casserole dish. Add the chicken and top each piece with a piece of Swiss cheese. Pour the rest of the sauce around the chicken.
  • Sprinkle the buttered bread crumbs over the chicken then bake the chicken for 45 minutes, or until hot, bubbly, and cooked through. Check the chicken periodically and if the breadcrumbs are browning too quickly, cover the casserole with aluminum foil.
  • Serve the chicken with some perfectly cooked basmati rice, a big scoop of the sauce, and a little minced parsley over the top.

Nutrition

Calories: 614kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 57g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 223mg | Sodium: 630mg | Potassium: 1003mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 924IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 208mg | Iron: 2mg


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Flan

This Latin dessert is sure to win your heart with creamy custard layered in smooth caramel. In this flan recipe, cream cheese is added for extra indulgence!

Each bite of flan is heaven. Caramel and cream are the best combinations! If you’re like me and love all things rich and sweet, you should give my crème brulée, dulce de leche cheesecake bars, and caramel apple upside-down cake a try!

Flan sliced and a slice being taken from the cake.

Cream Cheese Caramel Flan Recipe

For those of you who haven’t tried flan before, you’re in for a treat! It’s one of my favorites! Flan is a custard-based dessert topped with a thin, smooth layer of caramel. It’s most commonly found in Mexico, Spain, and Puerto Rico. You’ll find tons of different varieties of this dish, but the kind I’m making today is called Flan de Queso- also known as cream cheese flan! And let me tell you. Cream cheese flan is the love child of crème brulée and cheesecake. So incredibly delicious!

Truthfully, flan seems a lot more difficult to make than it really is. It only consists of a few simple steps! All you’ve got to do is mix up your caramel in a saucepan and use a water bath to cook your custard base. Once everything is baked, you flip the pan like you would with a bundt or upside-down cake. Perfectly shaped custard smothered in caramel should slide right out! It’s a melt-in-your-mouth dream. Let’s make some flan!

Flan Ingredients

Flan uses super simple ingredients. The caramel sauce, for example, only needs sugar and water! Then, the custard is just a mix of a few pantry staples. The key ingredients here are condensed and evaporated milk for maximum creaminess. You’ll love it! Measurements for each ingredient are in the recipe card below.

Caramel Topping

  • Granulated Sugar: Sugar melts down to become the golden caramel drizzle you see on top of the flan!
  • Water: Water dissolves your sugar and helps everything melt down beautifully!

Custard

  • Cream Cheese: Cream cheese is the star player here. It adds a hint of tang and creaminess to your flan!
  • Granulated Sugar: Added for the perfect sweet flavor. Eggs bind everything together!
  • Eggs: I’ve found that large eggs work best here.
  • Sweetened Condensed Milk: Everything is better with condensed milk! This sweetens the flan and makes it nice and smooth, too.
  • Evaporated Milk: Added for an extra milky flavor.
  • Vanilla: Vanilla tastes amazing paired with the other creamy ingredients in this dessert. If you can, use pure vanilla extract! This will give it a better flavor.

How to Make the Best Flan

Making tasty flan just requires a little patience and attention to detail. See more tips on getting the best results below! You’re going to love how it turns out. So creamy, sweet, and decadent!

Caramel Topping

  1. Melt Ingredients: Let’s begin! In a heavy saucepan, cook the sugar and water over medium heat until melted and boiling. Cook until it just begins to turn amber.
  2. Pour in Bottom of Pan: Next, remove from the heat and pour into an ungreased 9 inch x 2 inch high cake pan, or a 2 quart baking dish. It will turn hard in the bottom of the pan, but that’s okay!
Steps to make flan in a skillet pan over gas oven.

Custard

  1. Preheat Oven: First, preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
  2. Beat Cream Cheese and Eggs: In the bowl of a mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth and no lumps remain. Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is fully incorporated. You may have to scrape the bottom of the bowl between eggs to make sure there are no lumps of cream cheese left. Otherwise, you will end up with lumpy flan.
  3. Mix Ingredients, Add to Pan: Add in the remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. Then, pour over the caramel topping in the pan.
  4. Bake in Water Bath: Place the pan in a larger baking dish or roasting pan with high sides and pour boiling water into the larger pan until it is about 1 inch deep. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the center is still slightly jiggly.
  5. Cool: Remove from the oven and remove the pan from the larger baking dish. Cool for about an hour. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  6. Flip and Serve: When ready to serve, place the pan on a baking sheet with hot water for about a minute to loosen the caramel from the pan. Run a knife around the edge and quickly and carefully invert onto a rimmed serving plate. And, voila! You’ve made delicious flan!
Four steps to making flan in a

Tips and Tricks for Making Flan

While this recipe is pretty straightforward, there are a few things that can keep you from making the best flan possible. Since we are working with homemade caramel and eggs- there are certain conditions that need to be met so that everything tastes delicious! Keep these tips in mind and you’ll be making flan like a pro.

  • Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your wet ingredients are at room temperature before mixing them together. This will make your custard smoother!
  • Don’t Skip the Water Bath: A water bath is one of the most important parts of this recipe. The steam from the bath cooks the custard gently to keep it from curdling or scrambling.
  • Overcooking Caramel: Make sure you don’t cook your caramel mixture on too high of heat. If your sugar burns, it will become bitter.
  • Use a Strainer: When you pour your custard into your pan, try pouring it through a strainer to prevent air bubbles!
  • Chill: Flan needs plenty of time to set. Make sure it cools for at least a few hours in the fridge before serving.
  • Adding Flavors: For a little extra flavor, try adding citrus zest, shredded coconut, or even a couple tablespoons of espresso powder to your caramel mixture.
  • Serve With: Flan tastes great served with fresh fruit like strawberries, raspberries, or even a fruit salad. A little whipped cream or chopped nuts on top is amazing, too!
Flan sliced for a piece of dessert.

Storing Leftover Flan

Flan is best served fresh for optimal flavor and texture. But with proper storage, it can taste just as good a few days after! There’s nothing better than finding flan in the fridge when I’m craving something sweet.

  • In the Refrigerator: Store your flan in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap. It will keep for up to 3 days.
  • In the Freezer: Make sure your flan has completely cooled before freezing. Wrap in plastic wrap and then store in a freezer bag. It will keep for up to 2 months, but it’s best served at the 1 month mark. Thaw overnight in the fridge before consuming.
A slice of Flan cake on a white plate.
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Flan

This Latin dessert is sure to win your heart with creamy custard layered in smooth caramel. In this flan recipe, cream cheese is added for extra indulgence!
Course Dessert
Keyword flan, flan recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 8 slices
Calories 133kcal
Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

Caramel Topping

  • ¾ Cup Granulated Sugar
  • ¼ Cup Water

Custard

  • 1 (8 ounce package) Cream Cheese Softened
  • 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
  • 5 large Eggs
  • 1 (14 ounces) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • 1 (12 ounces) can Evaporated Milk
  • 2 Teaspoons Vanilla

Instructions

Caramel Topping

  • In a heavy saucepan cook the sugar and water over medium heat until melted and boiling. Cook until it just begins to turn amber and then remove from the heat and pour into an ungreased 9-inch x 2-inch high cake pan, or a 2-quart baking dish. It will turn hard in the bottom of the pan, but that's okay.

Custard

  • Preheat the oven to 350°. In the bowl of a mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth and no lumps remain. Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is fully incorporated. You may have to scrape the bottom of the bowl between eggs to make sure there are no lumps of cream cheese left, otherwise, you will end up with lumpy custard.
  • Add in the remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour over the caramel topping in the pan.
  • Place the pan in a larger baking dish or roasting pan with high sides and pour boiling water into the larger pan until it is about 1 inch deep. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the center, is still slightly jiggly.
  • Remove from the oven and remove the pan from the larger baking dish. Cool for about an hour. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  • When ready to serve, place the pan on a baking sheet with hot water for about a minute to loosen the caramel from the pan, run a knife around the edge, and quickly and carefully invert onto a rimmed serving plate.

Nutrition

Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 46mg | Potassium: 46mg | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 171IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg


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बुधवार, 13 अक्तूबर 2021

The Absolute Best Classic Yellow Cake

Yellow cake is a classic dish that we all know and love! Perfectly moist with a light and fluffy texture, it’s a cake that we make ALL the time because everyone loves it!

Cake is made often at our house and this yellow cake is always at the top of the list! So if you love cake as much as I do, go ahead and try this amazing Black Forest Cake, this Pumpkin Spice Sheet Cake, or even this Mississippi Mud Cake! They are all so delicious!

Yellow cake with chocolate frosting with a slice being pulled out.

Yellow Cake

The main reason that I love yellow cake so much is that it is so versatile! You can add extra treats to the batter. I like sprinkles, nuts, or even chocolate chips! But my favorite part is that when I switch up the frosting! The cake tastes and looks entirely different! Which is a good thing because I make this so often that then it feels like I’m switching things up! My favorite frostings are chocolate cream cheese frosting, chocolate buttercream frosting, and cream cheese frosting.

Then, after you add in the creamy and delicious frosting to the top, you can put whatever toppings you like on! The yellow cake flavor goes with just about anything so you can use fresh fruit (I love strawberries and raspberries!) Or even add in some nuts, or shaved chocolate, sprinkles…. really, whatever you feel like! It will all go with this cake! Try it out. You will love it and it will become a birthday and holiday staple in your house too!

Ingredients in Yellow Cake

This recipe has simple ingredients that are probably already in your kitchen! Stock up because you will be making this a lot! See the recipe card below for a list of exact ingredient measurements.

Dry Ingredients:

  • Cake flour: If you don’t have any cake flour on hand, you can make your own! See “Baking Tips” below!
  • Granulated sugar: Gives the cake that sweet flavor.
  • Baking powder: You need baking powder to get the cake to rise and be fluffy.
  • Baking soda: This also helps the cake to rise and creates bubbles in your cake while it cooks making it light and airy.
  • Salt: Salt will enhance the flavors of all of the other ingredients.

Wet Ingredients

  • Buttermilk: If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, try making this homemand buttermilk instead!
  • Milk: This is used to mix all of the ingredients together and create a creamy batter.
  • Vanilla: The vanilla gives a flavor to the sweetness of the sugar.
  • Vegetable oil: This makes it so that your cake is moist!
  • Eggs: Eggs bind all of the ingredients together and helo the cake to be soft and moist.
Mixing wet and dry ingredients together in three steps.

Let’s Bake a Cake!

This cake is super easy and you can make it even quicker if you make the yellow cake mix ahead of time! You can make that ahead of time and then just mix the wet ingredients in and bake! If not, I have all of the instructions here on how to do everything together!

  • Make the yellow cake mix (dry ingredients): Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and powdered milk. Store in an airtight container or jar until ready to use.
  • Preheat and prep: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325°. Grease 2 8 inch round cake pans and set them aside.
  • Mix dry and wet ingredients together, bake and cool: Add the dry mix ingredients to a large bowl. Add the water, vanilla, butter, and eggs and beat with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer or a hand mixer until fully combined. Separate the batter evenly into the two cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the center of the cake springs back when pressed on. Let cool completely.
  • Add the frosting: Frost with your desired frosting. I used my delicious chocolate cream cheese frosting and it is to DIE for when paired with this yellow cake
A slice of yellow cake with chocolate frosting.

Baking Tips

Yellow cake is a classic cake! It can be combined with endless varieties of frostings and fillings to fit any occasion. This yellow cake mix makes it even easier to make a homemade cake from scratch, especially if you prep several jars of the mix ahead of time. You’ll never reach for a store-bought cake mix again!

  • Use room temperature ingredients: Using eggs, water and butter that are not cold and are at room temperature will help the cake batter come together more easily. And not only that but it will help the cake be smoother!
  • Don’t overmix: Ovemixing the batter takes away the fluffiness of this yellow cake! It makes the texture gummy and chewy. So just mix until everything is combined and then stop! You will be glad that you did!
  • Don’t open the oven early: I know that we all want to see how our cake is baking up in the oven! But don;t give in to the temptation to open the oven while it’s baking! Use the light instead! If you open the oven too soon, it releases too much hot air. This lowers the baking temperature around your cake and the cake will collapse. So, if you must open it to see then try to wait until at least 35 minutes into the baking time.
  • Cake flour: The reason that I use cake flour instead of regular flour is because it makes the cake more tender! If you don’t have cake flour, don’t worry! You can make it from scratch!  For every 1 cup of all purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons of the flour and replace with cornstarch. Then, you will sift it together. Once it’s been fully sifted, then measure out the amount of flour that you need for the recipe!

How to Store Leftovers

If you have enough of this yellow cake for leftovers, then you will be pleasantly surprised as to how well this cake holds up and tastes a day or two later! It’s delicious!

Refrigerator: Once your cake has cooled then wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in your fridge, It can last up to 7 days! Keep it in the fridge until you are ready to frost it. Once you have frosted your cake then you can wrap plastic wrap against the exposed part of the cake to keep it from drying out. It can last in your fridge for up to 5 days with the frosting!

A slice of yellow cake with a fork taking a bite out of it.
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Yellow Cake

Yellow cake is a classic dish that we all know and love! Perfectly moist with a light and fluffy texture, it's a cake that we make ALL the time because everyone loves it!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword yellow cake, yellow cake recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8 slices
Calories 325kcal
Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ Cups Cake Flour
  • 1 ½ Cups Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • ½ Teaspoon Salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Buttermilk
  • ¼ Cup Milk
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
  • ½ Cup Vegetable Oil
  • 3 Large Eggs

Instructions

  • Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and powdered milk. Store in an airtight container or jar until ready to use.
  • When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°. Grease 2 8 inch round cake pans and set them aside.
  • Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl. Add the buttermilk, milk, oil, vanilla, and eggs and beat with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer or a hand mixer until fully combined. Separate the batter evenly into the two cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center of the cake springs back when pressed on. Let cool completely.
  • Frost with your desired frosting. I used my delicious chocolate cream cheese frosting and it is to DIE for when paired with this yellow cake!

Nutrition

Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 278mg | Potassium: 265mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 164IU | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 1mg


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