Perhaps by now you have realized that I am a fan of main dish casseroles. I like the luxury of being able to do food prep early in the day and then bake it as directed in time for dinner. I do use low-sodium soups and chicken broth and low-fat sour cream.

Kate introduced me to the Chicken Florentine Casserole after she made it for her family and received thumbs up. The original recipe called for 2 cans of spinach, drained but Kate recommended using the frozen spinach. This was not a particular favorite of mine but Spicer and Kate both really liked it so I’m providing the recipe here so that you can make your own decision.

Lila’s Chicken Casserole
From Vera Bradley Our Favorite Recipes

8 ounces vermicelli
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 (10-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 (10-ounce) can cream of mushroom (or celery) soup
2 cups chicken broth
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups sour cream
Seasoned pepper to taste
1 1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
5 slices rye bread, cut into cubes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the pasta in boiling water to cover for 2 minutes; drain. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the onion. Sauté until translucent. Combine the sautéed onions, mushrooms, soups, chicken broth and uncooked chicken together in a large bowl and toss to completely mix. Add the sour cream, seasoned pepper and 1 cup of the Cheddar cheese. Stir in the slightly cooked pasta to mix well. Pour into lightly greased 3-quart casserole (or two smaller casseroles). Combine remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese with Parmesan cheese, toss to mix and sprinkle over top of casserole. Sprinkle the bread cubes over the top. (Note from Judi: I did not use the bread cubes.) Bake casserole in preheated oven for 1 hour. (Second note: I divided this between two casseroles and baked one immediately and froze the other one, tightly the refrigerator then baked in a preheated oven for 1 hour 15 minutes or until bubbly. Serves 6 to 8.

Chicken Rice Casserole
From www.allrecipes.com

2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
2 cups cooked rice
1 (10-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 (4.5-ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup crushed Ritz cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine chicken, rice, soup, water chestnuts, mushrooms, celery, mayonnaise, chopped onion, lemon juice and salt. Combine the cracker crumbs and melted butter and mix. Spoon chicken mixture into lightly greased 2 1/2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle crumbs over top. Bake for 40 minutes until bubbly. Serves 4 to 6.

Chicken Florentine Casserole
Adapted from www.allrecipes.com

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into serving size pieces if the breasts are larger than serving size
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 (10-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen spinach, cooked for 2 minutes and drained
4-ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
2/3 cup crumbled cooked bacon
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken breast pieces on a baking sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear when pricked with a fork. Remove from heat and set aside. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, mix in the lemon juice, soup, Italian seasoning, milk and Parmesan cheese. Arrange the cooked and drained spinach over the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. Cover the spinach with the mushrooms. Pour half the mixture from the saucepan over the mushrooms. Arrange chicken pieces in the dish and cover with the remaining sauce mixture. Sprinkle with bacon bits and top with Mozzarella cheese. Bake for 25 minutes in the 400-degree oven until bubbly and lightly browned. Serves 6.