Chesapeake Chicken (And Crab) Casserole Recipe

Chesapeake Bay has long been a confluence of cultures and geographical backgrounds, each significantly influencing the area's culinary landscape. The region is known for many dishes that incorporate local ingredients for maximal flavor. Mashed recipe developer Patterson Watkins shares this Chesapeake chicken (and crab) casserole to offer a taste of it for foodies wide and far. "I love the duality of this recipe. There's this simple, casserole-coziness to this dish, as well as this upmarket/upscale gourmet element," she says. "That casserole-coziness comes from that whole 'one-pan, baked, creamy-cheesy' bit, while the upscale elements come from the care-in-prep (butterflying the chicken for even cooking and max stuff-age) and treat-yo-self ingredients (like the lump crab meat)."

As far as serving this dish, keep it simple. "This casserole is a great 'star of the plate' option. It's definitely a fantastic main," Watkins says. "I love accompanying this dish with rice." She suggests either wild rice or pilaf, as well as "easy-peasy vegetables (like sautéed or broiled asparagus or green beans)."

For this recipe, get a can of cream of celery soup, mayonnaise, one egg, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay or other seafood seasoning, chicken broth, drained lump crab meat, boneless and skinless chicken breasts, salt, black pepper, shredded jack cheese, melted butter, crushed Ritz crackers, and chopped chives.

Feel free to switch up the type of cheese you use. Watkins encourages home cooks to "get cheesy," saying, "I like the melt-ability and mildness of jack cheese. But, cheddar, Swiss, muenster, or anything melty and not-over-the-top in terms of flavor or robustness (avoid stinky cheese) will work well."

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Place cream of celery soup, mayonnaise, egg, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and 1 teaspoon of Old Bay in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.

Spoon half of the mixture into a 13x9-inch casserole dish.

Add the chicken broth to the casserole dish and whisk to combine. Set the casserole dish aside.

Add the crab meat to the bowl with the reserved mixture from step 2 and gently stir to combine. Set aside.

Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels.

Butterfly the chicken breasts by cutting a slit in the center of each breast, slicing only ¾ of the way through the center meat, and leaving about ½ inch of clearance at the top and bottom of the breast.

Turn the knife sideways and cut a pocket into the left side of the breast, slicing only ¾ of the way through the meat and entering in through the first cut you made. Again, do not cut into the top and bottom clearance.

Repeat that same slicing motion from step 8 on the right side of the chicken breast, gently pulling the left and right sides of the chicken breast outward to reveal a larger pocket in the center.

Season the prepped chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and the remaining (½ teaspoon) Old Bay seasoning.

Nestle the seasoned chicken breasts into the sauced casserole dish.

Spoon the crab mixture into the center of each breast, making sure to stuff each pocket as full as possible. Spoon any excess crab mix over the chicken breasts.

Once all the chicken breasts have been stuffed, sprinkle each with a hearty handful of cheese (about ¼ cup per breast).

Cover the casserole dish loosely with foil, place in the oven, and bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the crushed crackers and melted butter in a medium bowl. Stir to combine.

Remove the casserole from the oven, remove the foil, and top with the cracker crumb mixture.

Return to the oven and continue to bake for 10–15 minutes, or until the casserole has reached an internal temperature of 165 F. (Cover with foil if your cracker crumbs are browning too quickly).

Remove from the oven and garnish with chopped chives before serving.

Crab is undoubtedly the star of this dish, but not everyone is accustomed to cooking with crustaceans. "I grew up in Southern Maryland. So ... blue crabs, to me, are sacrosanct," Watkins says. She offers some expert advice for sourcing the best meat you can: "Most seafood sections, at your local grocer, will carry lump crab meat. They'll be in 1-pound cans, refrigerated, and often stocked near the smoked seafood or shellfish." 

You'll see a few types of crab meat, most likely jumbo lump, lump, and special. "Jumbo lump is the 'crème de la crème' of crab meat," Watkins says. "These are the largest and most succulent pieces of crab meat — and, the most expensive." However, she recommends skipping it and notes, "Those large and lovely lumps will be lost in our tasty casserole."

Instead, lump is her favorite for this recipe. "Lump crab meat is just smaller, broken pieces of jumbo lump and the occasional tasty morsel from the legs or body of the crab. This is the meat often used for making crab cakes. "It's moderately priced, and is perfect for our casserole." If you can't find it or want something more affordable, special is more of the morsels and less of the lumps but may come with shell pieces.

If you're making this tasty casserole for one or two people, you'll surely have leftovers. Since the dish thoroughly heats through, it's important to let it cool down fully before refrigerating it. Depending on how much is remaining and your refrigerator space, you can either wrap the casserole dish or carefully transfer the leftovers into an airtight container. 

As for getting through leftovers, Watkins says, "I would reheat individual portions as needed in the oven at 350–400 F." Prevent the top from burning by covering it with tinfoil, then reheating it until it has warmed through and is a bit toasted. While we all love shortcuts, Watkins advises against going the microwave route. "You could, but I would try to avoid, reheating in the microwave," she says, further explaining that "sometimes crab meat and chicken can turn rubbery under the micro's waves."