Roasted Red Pepper Casserole with Chicken
I simply want comforting, piping hot food when the weather gets cold. To satisfy my love of hotdish casseroles and low carb I put together this very warming and delicious recipe. It’s basically a Spanish inspired version of something you’d find on a Midwest Pinterest board with (I dare say) light sophistication. Green olives, home roasted red peppers, and preserved lemon add depth and interest. Rotisseri chicken, feta, and the gold standard of hot dishes everywhere: Philadelphia cream cheese (!) make it fairly user friendly. You may notice there is no addition of salt in this recipe, and for good reasons. The chicken, cheeses, and preserved lemons all contain fair amounts of salt. Don’t worry-it’s flavorful! Trust me.
This can be served with any number of accompaniments. If you’re low carb/keto persuasion I recommend some roasted broccoli and/or cauliflower gnocchi. It would also be delightful over some mashed cauliflower.
*Note: you certainly do not need to go through the trouble of charring/roasting the bell peppers. Store bought is fine! I recommend this option for those who do not have a gas stove and/or don’t want to grill in the winter. I don’t blame you, it’s fine!
**This recipe called for the skin of a preserved lemon, which may not be a staple in your pantry, though I implore you to keep them on hand as they lend an amazing and unique flavor to all manner of dishes. You can find these at specialty markets and certainly on Amazon, though the quality of those I cannot speak to. Trader Joe’s does carry them from time to time. They can be omitted from the recipe, however if you can find them, I urge you to give them a shot.
Cooks note: This recipe can be scaled for larger quantities and is excellent frozen for future dinners, or meal prep purposes. Help your future self out if you’re going through the trouble!
Serves a greedy 4
INGREDIENTS
2 medium-large red bell peppers*, charred and skins removed
OR 1/16oz jar, well drained and chopped, divided
½ cup heavy cream
1 clove garlic
1 tbs avocado oil, or other high quality high heat oil
1 medium red onion
1 bunch kale, removed from stem, washed
4 oz cream cheese, full fat
5-6 oz skinless rotisserie chicken meat (I like a blend of both light and dark), roughly pulled into chunks and picked over for grissle, bones, and cartilage
2 oz feta, crumbled
1 oz Parmesan, finely grated
1 6oz jar castelvetrano (pitted!) green olives, coarsely chopped
½ preserved lemon skin**, pulp removed (reserve for other stuff like salad dressing!), and finely chopped
METHOD
If you’re roasting the peppers yourself, start here. Char the hell out of them! And I mean it. The outsides must be entirely blackened. Do not think that a couple of black spots will satisfy this step. Let me lead you into the night my friend, because massive, uncomfortable levels of charring is necessary. This satisfies two things: 1: ease of skin removal, and 2: it imbues the flesh with a delightfully smokey flavor. Once charred on all sides, transfer to a ceramic/stainless bowl and cover with foil or plastic wrap. Let steam for about 5-10 minutes to properly separate the skin from the flesh. The skin should come off easily and without fuss. Remove the stem/core and any obvious membranes. If some char is left on, that’s fine. It adds depth of flavor.
Preheat your oven to 350F if you plan on serving this immediately. If not, omit.
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Cut the red onion into ½” slices along the grain. Saute the onion over medium/hot heat until color is achieved. Add the kale, pulling large pieces apart. Reduce heat to very low and stir to combine.
Meanwhile, in a blender or Magic Bullet-type device, add ½ roasted/drained peppers and garlic with the heavy cream and blitz to total homogenization. Add to the skillet and stir to combine.
The rest of the ingredients can be added at this point and mixed together in the skillet. This, friend, is the beauty of a casserole: ruleless tossing in some cream-based glue with a final bake. At this point you have the option of simply keeping it all in the skillet and popping it into the oven to bubble and bake OR you can transfer it into a baking dish and save it for a weeknight meal a few days down the road.
If going the oven route, place the ovenproof skillet you’ve been using (like a cast iron/stainless pan wink wink) on the middle rack and give it 20 minutes to get it GBD: golden brown and delicious.
Serve and enjoy.
