Empty Pantry Syndrome

We have all had it at one point in our lives..you know..when you are standing in your kitchen, staring at a plate of thawed chicken breast..staring and staring and staring. I HATE HATE making the same things over and over. I pulled out my recipes binder, saw some things that looked good. Crap, I had none of the ingredients in my pantry. I had no bread crumbs, no fresh herbs, no pasta. Hmmmm, desperate times call for desperate measures.
I know I had potatoes and onions. Ok, I could work with what I had.
Again, no bread crumbs..there it was in the rear of my pantry…Stove Top Stuffing! All Stove Top is is Bread right? So below is the recipe in which I came up for dinner. I know the photos look like a big blob of nothing. But I tell you what…it was pretty damn tasty if I must say so myself!

Empty Pantry Chicken
4 organic chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 potato sliced thin
1 onion
3/4 cup Sherry
1 cup Stove Top Stuffing mix
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
Salt and Pepper
Slice onion thinly, caramelize them in pan
In a buttered casserole dish, arrange thinly sliced potatoes on bottom
Salt and Pepper Chicken
Place chicken on top of potatoes
Place caramelized onions on top of chicken
In small bowl, mix cream of mushroom soup and sherry together
Place soup mixture on top of onions
Top with Stove Top Stuffing
Shred Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese over Stove Top
Bake uncovered in preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until chicken is done.

Comments

  1. I think this looks amazing! I would eat this for dinnner anytime.

  2. Ok, this sounds great! I have many of those nights! And usually those are the nights the best meals are made, right? Ok…sometimes, haha!

    Looks delish Leslie!

  3. Anonymous says:

    this reminds me of an 80’s recipe a friend’s mom used to make every post thanksgiving brunch–

    it was alternating layeres of pulled turkey, stove top stuffing, cream of celery or mushroom soups, and sour cream tucked in for good measure, all baked in a casserole dish.

    now, this isn’t how i like to cook everyday, but the mix of sour cream and layers turns into something magical and greater than the sum of its parts!

    i want a whole foods version, drool!!!

    love the FL perspective, from one cracker to another ; )

  4. Thanks anonymous..It was tasty..and I didnt even think about adding sour cream, I bet that gives it a nice creamy flavor!
    no this isnt the healthiest dish..not the worst either..hey there isnt a pound of butter in it!
    At least I used organic chicken!LOL

  5. Leslie, it doesn’t look like big blob of nothing to me! It looks yummy!

  6. I have had quite a few of those nights lately because I have been either too busy or too lazy to go to the store. But these quick put-togethers always turn out great and yours sounds delicious.

  7. noble pig says:

    What a great idea.

    I was staring at an empty frige this evening and ended up with nachos. I like your idea better.

  8. Clumbsy Cookie says:

    Aren’t you happy that you had an empty pantry? If you had pasta and bread crumbs you would not have came up wit this delicious dich!

  9. Carole Knits says:

    I saw this on tastespotting and had to click on over. This looks great and has ingredients that are almost always in the cupboard. Thanks!

  10. sounds like a pretty darn good use for stove top!

  11. That looks divine, lady….

    Do souffles mail well?

    🙂

  12. RecipeGirl says:

    Hey, looks great. I have the opposite problem. I have loads of things in my freezer and an overwhelming pantry… and I still can’t seem to put a good dinner together!

  13. lol, looks great! I actually made the recipe from Kraft foods last night for Bruschetta Chicken using stovetop, diced tomatoes and cheese. Was delish!

  14. Now that’s some good thinkin’ on yor high heels!

    Now I won’t dump that stuffing mix…it’ll come in handy.

  15. Looks like you came up with a great meal in no time! I love it!

  16. Leslie, it’s been said, desperation is the mother of invention, or something to that effect. Anyway, it obviously worked in your favor. Great looking dinner!

  17. JennDZ - The Leftover Queen says:

    I love cooking this way! It is so satisfying to make something from what appears to be nothing and then have it taste so good!!!

  18. well at least yours photographs way better than mine ever will.
    I have been exactly where you have been staring into the barren cupboard waiting for something to jump out and say “I’ll go in the casserole tonight!”
    Never thought to add potatoes to it–good idea.

  19. Ha, I never have an empty pantry. Just one full of stuff I can’t use 😉

    When faced with that dilemma, I usually get all sweet and cuddly and tell my husband how nice it would be have a carne asada burrito from our favorite taco joint.

  20. That cracks me up. Good work!

  21. Big Boys Oven says:

    wow you can really do so well in the kitchen! so awesome!

  22. Snooky doodle says:

    ha sometimes i spend alot of time trying to decide what to cook and by the time i get to the actual cooking i m fed up and end up making the same dish or sometimes worse nothing :)This looks yummy

  23. jodycakes says:

    Leslie – this is wonderful way to use your resources!!!
    Sounds delicious!!

  24. It sounds seriously tasty! I love a good improvisation. We’re having storecupboard surprise tonight too.

  25. Looks beautiful Leslie! I’d be a happy girl having this for dinner!

  26. yeaaa, my pantry is empty at the moment too… that chicken looks yummy tho!

  27. Way to be creative with the chicken and pantry items! You’re better than I am.
    Love the blueberry crumble, too. I made one a few months ago, too. It was made healthy and still was so good and moist and the crumble is my favorite part.

  28. It does not look like a blob. It looks warm and comforting and creamy and oozy and yummy and mmm. Nice creativity. I have a casserole recipe that some one left at my checkstand and I love it. But mine is trailer trash food, mayo, canned soup, ritz crackers.

  29. I love these kinds of meals that you make up as you go and when they turn out as wonderful as this one looks, wow! My mouth is watering…

  30. I made this for Sunday dinner tonight. Goodness gracious, it was sssoooo YUMMY!!!

  31. Mmmm…that looks so good.
    http://www.testkitchenrecipes.blogspot.com

  32. this is another instant winner… great job, Les… 🙂

  33. Erin @ Sprouted says:

    Actually, that looks pretty good. Clever to brown and put the potatoes on the bottom–that would not have occurred to me. I agree with anonymous–reminds me of some recipes my mom used to make in the 80s, too!

  34. OMG, i this looks so great Leslie! I want some now LOL

  35. I made this dish this past weekend. It was excellent—and made some pretty tasty leftovers too. THANKS!!!!!

  36. Emily,
    I am so very glad you enjoyed it! Pretty tasty ,Huh?

  37. Ah, this is exactly what I’d want someone to make me after a cold, long day…but I have to make it for myself b/c I’m the only one that cooks :P. Great way to use up the ingredients!

  38. I wanted to reiterate how yummy this was, and even better as leftovers. It was so good, we are making it for company. Thanks for posting it.

  39. denisermt says:

    That so delicious! My DH is a royal PITA and hates any recipes with soup as one of the ingredients. WHATEVER! Maybe I’ll make and not tell him. 😉

  40. Stacey Snacks says:

    That is an excellent looking casserole!

    Comfort food at its best.

    Stacey

  41. Becky Gallegos says:

    This dish looks awesome….so awesome, I tried it myself. I have a head cold and UNFORTUNANTLY lost all ability to taste about 2 hours before dinner was served…no joke….but my picky husband loved it and told me to save the recipe! He doesn’t say that often and I am so excited so I can make it again and actually taste it! Thanks for the great idea!