Galinha Gratinada - Chicken & Hash brown Casserole

I think the thing I most love about cooking, is the ability to put together a meal from scratch without following a recipe, and have it turn out well.  Knowing that your family loves the food you prepare for them, is a feeling like no other.

This dish came about because I've been cooking Portuguese food these past two weeks, and actually had some random pieces of chicken in the freezer. There were 4 thighs and 3 tenders that I wanted to cook up before going bad, and I knew that I wanted a casserole kind of meal.

So, a bit of this and a little of that and out came this comforting casserole.

Galinha Gratinada com Batata

{Chicken and Hash Brown Casserole}

Chicken pieces, bones removed, cut into bite size chunks
1 bag potato hash browns
olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 small can mushrooms
Heavy cream
salt to taste
shredded mozzarella

In a big skillet, add a little bit of olive oil, the onion and the garlic.  Cook over medium heat until the onion is tender.  Add the chicken and cook until done.

Add the chicken broth and the can of mushrooms and simmer for about 5 minutes.  You'll notice that most if not all of the liquid has evaporated.  Season with salt to taste.

Next goes in the heavy cream.  I didn't measure, I just added as much as I wanted.  I think it was about 2 cups.  Stir until well combined.

In a 13 x 9 inch pan, spray with a little nonstick spray.  Add in the bag of potatoes and even them out.  Pour the chicken mixture over the potatoes.  At this point you can add a little more heavy cream if you wish, I drizzled a little more over the top just to be sure the potatoes had enough liquid to cook in.

 Sprinkle on a little shredded mozzarella cheese, then cover with foil and bake in a 425 degree oven for about 30 minutes.  Check if the potatoes are done, if they are, remove the foil and bake for a further 5 minutes or so to brown.

Enjoy!