Chicken and Swiss Casserole — A Three-Day Make-Ahead for Mama’s Re-Budgeted Week

Late January. Mama is two weeks into the new single-income reality. The Dollar General has put her on the full-time eight-hour schedule (the manager Frank had been wanting to bump her to full-time for two years and the diner closure unlocked the conversation). Full-time at the Dollar General is approximately $26,000 a year. Combined with the small severance from the diner ($432) and the unemployment claim Mama is filing for the diner-portion of her income, Mama’s income for 2021 will land at roughly $30,000. She had been making $35,500 across the two jobs in 2020.

The household-budget gap is $5,500 across the year — manageable if Mama tightens the grocery line and the small entertainment-and-clothing line. She has decided to tighten. Dustin and I have decided to drive over Wednesdays-and-Sundays across the next few months to bring her food we have cooked, the kind of small kitchen-aid she has been doing for me my whole life and that I have not had the chance to return until now.

Sunday I made chicken and Swiss casserole as the small three-day make-ahead for Mama’s re-budgeted week. The dish: shredded chicken in a creamy sauce with sauteed mushrooms and fresh thyme, topped with Swiss cheese and breadcrumbs, baked. The casserole scales for three nights of Mama’s dinners across the week. I packed it in a foil-covered nine-by-thirteen pan and drove it over to Broken Arrow Sunday afternoon. Mama had said on the phone Friday that she did not want me bringing her food. I had said: Mama, this is not optional. She had said: baby, you do not have to. I had said: Mama, you have fed me for nineteen years. Let me feed you for a while.

Chicken & Swiss Casserole

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked
• 2 cans (10.5 oz each) cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 6 slices Swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup crushed buttery crackers (such as Ritz)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Heat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Mix the base. In a large bowl, whisk together the cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until smooth.
3. Add rice and chicken. Stir the uncooked rice and chicken pieces into the soup mixture until everything is evenly coated. Pour into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer.
4. Add cheese. Lay the Swiss cheese slices evenly over the top of the casserole, covering as much of the surface as possible.
5. Make the topping. In a small bowl, combine the crushed crackers and melted butter. Sprinkle evenly over the cheese layer.
6. Bake covered. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
7. Finish uncovered. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10–15 minutes, until the topping is golden, the rice is tender, and the casserole is bubbling around the edges.
8. Rest and serve. Let the casserole sit for 5 minutes before serving so it sets up nicely. Serve straight from the dish.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 485 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 48g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 820mg