Swiss Chicken

I based this dish on a recipe shared with me by one of my amazing sisters, who liked it for its elegant-but-convenient qualities. I’ve reverse-engineered it to be next-level flavorful, but lost much of the convenience. (No more cream-of-mushroom soup.) Sorry about that… on the plus side, it is a one-skillet entree! And did I mention flavorful?

Swiss Chicken (Serves 4-6)

• 6 Tbsp butter
• 1.5 lbs chicken thighs, trimmed of all extra fat
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 rib celery, diced
• 4 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme (or use 1 tsp minced fresh thyme)
• Salt and pepper
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup milk
• 4 oz Swiss cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 pkg (about 3.5 cups) Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix (“herb seasoned”)

Heat 1 Tbsp butter in cast iron skillet. In two batches, sear chicken thighs (2 minutes per side) until well-browned. Remove to a plate.
Add 2 Tbsp butter to pan. Saute onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms until softened and beginning to brown. Stir in garlic, then make sauce: Sprinkle veggies with 3 Tbsp flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp dried thyme. Cook and stir a moment. Add chicken broth and milk. Cook and stir until thickened. Turn off heat. Stir in 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese, then stir in white wine.
Preheat oven to 350.
Nestle chicken back into pan, sprinkle with remaining cheese, then prepare topping: toss 1/2 bag stuffing mix with 3 Tbsp melted butter. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the pan, cover with foil and bake for 20 mins. Remove foil and bake for 10-15 minutes longer to brown the topping.