Thyme Chicken Crepe Casserole

Thyme Chicken Crepe Casserole is a nice make-ahead. When the company comes in the door, the casserole goes in the oven.

The Canadian Football League’s championship Grey Cup Final will see the Hamilton Tiger Cats battle against the Saskatchewan Rough Riders next Sunday.

Menu for your Grey cup party (all of the highlighted dishes are available on the website):

Start with Guacamole and Roasted Chicken Wings when everyone arrives for the party.

Thyme Chicken Crepe Casserole and Clementine and Almond Salad would make a great dinner dish.

Finish up with Lemon Trifle.

Go Ti Cats!

Print recipe

Serves	10 -15
Inspiration	Joan Tourgis

Ingredients

Crepes

1 cup cold water
1 cup cold milk
4 Large eggs
1/4 Tsp salt
2 Cups all purpose flour
4 Tbsp melted butter

Cheese Sauce

5 Tbsp butter
6 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 Tsp salt
1/4 Tsp ground nutmeg
freshly ground pepper
4 Cups milk
4 Tsp Dijon or your favourite good mustard
2 Cups grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Filling

5 Skinless boneless chicken breasts
your favourite chicken or rib seasoning
20 cremini or white mushrooms (sliced)
2 Tsp dried thyme
2 red or yellow or orange sweet peppers (seeds removed and sliced into 2 inch lengths)
1/2 Tsp salt
freshly grated pepper

Directions

Crepes

Put water, milk, eggs and salt in the blender. Add the flour and the butter. Cover and blend at top speed for one minute. If the flour attaches to the side of the jar, scrape it down with a spatula and blend for a another 10 seconds.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, to allow the flour to swell.

For each crepe, lightly spray a non stick medium sized frying pan with Pam or other cooking spray. Pour about 3 tbsp of the batter into the skillet; immediately rotate pan until batter overs bottom. Cook until light brown; flip with a spatula and brown on other side.

When removing from the frying pan, stack so first baked side is down. Cool, keeping crepes covered to prevent them from drying out. After each three crepes place a layer of wax paper to separate them. If you are using them that day, leave on the counter with the top crepe covered with wax paper. To use another day, cover the crepes with plastic wrap or a zippered bag and store in the refrigerator.
Cheese Sauce

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. When the butter has just foamed, remove it from the burner and add the flour, nutmeg, salt and pepper off the heat. When it is stirred together it should form a soft roux. This means that you should be able to draw a line through the mixture and it will not all flow back. If it does, then you need to a tiny bit of flour.

While still off the stove add a little bit of the milk and stir it. You will see that it looks a little thicker; add a little more milk, stir and then put it back on the burner. Continue to add the milk, gradually, stirring all the while. When it comes to a boil (bubbles braking the surface), let it cook for another minute. Stir in the mustard.

Remove from the heat and stir in 2/3 cup of the Gruyere and the Parmesan cheese until melted. Set aside.
Filling

Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Generously season the chicken breast with the chicken and rib seasoning. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and place the seasoned chicken breasts on it in one layer. Roast slowly, so they are cooked, but not crusty. Set the chicken aside to cool. Once they have cooled, cut the chicken breasts into bite sized pieces.

Saute the mushroomsin a little olive oil until they begin to soften and the liquid has mostly evaporated.. Add the thyme and stir to mix. Add the sweet pepper to the mixture and cook until they are just cooked. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chopped chicken to this mixture along with a 1/4 cup of the cheese sauce.

Preheat the oven to 375 deg F. Butter two 13 x 9 inch glass baking dishes. Lay the crepes out on a clean counter top. Spoon about 3 tbsp of the filling down the centre of each crepe.

Fold the edges of the crepes over to enclose the filling. Place the crepes seam side down, in the prepared baking dishes.

Spoon the cheese sauce over top and then sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the top is browned.
Make Ahead

After assembling the crepes (but before baking), let crepes cool and then cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Remove from the refrigerator about an hour before baking and then bake for about 30 - 35 minutes.