SRC Orphan Rescue: Join Us, Pull Up a Chair

I'm on Orphan-detail again today for the Secret Recipe Club - for a Group B orphan last week! - and I am so excited about cooking from Join Us, Pull Up a Chair - a cooking and baking blog written by Heather.

One of the reasons I always volunteer to help out an SRC orphan is to meet new foodie bloggers. Actually, in this case, I've been reading Heather's blog for a little while; but it's nice to explore it in more depth for something to cook for my family.

There were several of Heather's recipes that I considered - Braised Short Ribs over Creamy Cheddar Cheese Polenta, Beef and Bleu Cheese Tart (oh! so many of my favorite words in that one), Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce, and she even has a Hummingbird Cake (I've been searching for a recipe for that). But I decided to look for something for which I had all of the ingredients in my fridge and could make for dinner quickly. Eureka! Here we go...here's what I made...

Chicken, Artichoke, and Arugula Casserole

inspired by Join Us, Pull Up a Chair's Spinach, Artichoke, Chicken Casserole

I can't remember the last time I made a casserole. I guess it really had been awhile because my husband asked, "What would you call this?" A casserole. "That's what I thought." Funny.

8 oz trottole pasta (use whatever pasta you have)

a pat of butter

freshly ground sea salt
freshly ground pepper

1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 eggs

1 C organic whole milk
1/2 C organic heavy cream

1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese, divided in half

2 C shredded mozzarella

1 jar marinated artichokes, drained and roughly chopped

2 C arugula, chopped

1/4 C ground almonds

ground paprika

Cook pasta according to the package instructions. Drain pasta and set aside. Butter a 9x13 baking dish and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large flat-bottom pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle and the onions are translucent. Stir in the arugula and cook until just wilted. Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, and 1/4 C parmesan cheese. Stir in the mozzarella and artichokes. Combine the wet mixture with the pasta, chicken, and arugula. Turn the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle it with the rest of the parmesan, the ground almonds, and a dash of paprika. Cover the pan with foil and place the wrapped dish into the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil from the dish and bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until the top is golden brown and toasty.