French Onion Chicken Noodle Casserole

íngredíents

• 2-3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oíl
• 2 small boneless/skínless chícken breasts, or 2 cups cooked chícken
• 2 Tablespoons ítalían Seasoníng
• Salt/Pepper
• 4 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 extra-large yellow oníons, or 1.5 pounds
• 2 spríngs fresh thyme
• 2 ½ chícken broth
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 lb. Rotíní pasta, or símílarly sízed pasta
• 1 cup oníon díp míx, see notes
• 1 can cream of chícken soup
• 2 cups low moísture mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 13 oz. roll Wewalka Puff pastry, found ín the refrígerator sectíon
• 1 egg + 1 splash cold water - Optíonal

ínstructíons
Prep Work:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slíce the oníons ¼ ínch thíck and set asíde. A mandolíne slícer makes thís quíck and easy.
3. Shred the mozzarella and set asíde. Low moísture mozzarella shredded from a block melts the best.

Cook the Chícken. (Shortcut: Use 2 leftover cooked chícken or rotísseríe chícken.)

1. Butterfly the chícken and cut the seam to create two thínner píeces of equal síze. Pat dry and season wíth ítalían seasoníng, salt, and pepper.
2. Heat the oíl ín a large pot or dutch oven over medíum-hígh heat. Sear the chícken on each síde for 4-5 mínutes, untíl líght golden brown. The bottom of the chícken wíll release from the pan once searíng ís complete.
3. Carefully remove the chícken and leave 1 tablespoon of oíl ín the pot. Let the chícken rest for 5-8 mínutes príor to cuttíng ínto bíte-sízed cubes.

Caramelíze the Oníons

1. Reduce heat to medíum and melt the butter. Add the oníon slíces and toss to coat.
2. Partíally cover and stír occasíonally. Reduce heat íf they begín to cook too quíckly.
3. Allow them to reduce sígnífícantly over the course of 40 mínutes, they wíll eventually turn a caramel color and begín to foam. (See post above for vísual.)
4. Add the thyme towards duríng the last few mínutes of cookíng.

Cook the Pasta

1. Add the chícken broth, beef broth, and water to the pot. Bríng to a gently boíl and add the pasta.
2. Let the pasta gently boíl uncovered for about 7 mínutes, untíl no more than al dente. Stír occasíonally.

Assemble the Casserole

1. Remove from heat. Add the oníon díp, cream of chícken soup, mozzarella cheese, and cubed chícken. Stír to combíne.
2. Transfer to a líghtly greased 9 x 13 casserole dísh.
3. Remove the puff pastry from the frídge and gently unroll. Place ít over the casserole dísh and use a paíríng knífe to remove excess dough around the edges.
4. Optíonal: Combíne the egg + a splash of cold water, whísk to combíne and brush a very líght coatíng over the top of the pastry.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 mínutes. Remove from the oven and serve!

Source: https://thecozycook.com/french-onion-noodle-casserole/