Chicken and Artichoke Casserole

We only watched the last forty five minutes or so of the Academy Awards last evening.  I fell asleep for part of that time.  Daniel Day Lewis is a favorite of mine.  Even though I have yet to see "Lincoln", I'm sure DDL deserved the award.  I love Adele and was pleased that she won for "Skyfall" which I saw--the first James Bond for me in a couple of decades.  We opted to view the contemporary mystery on PBS instead.  First, we had our last (for this season) dinner culled from our dwindling refrigerator and pantry.  I pulled out chicken thighs and a jar of marinated artichoke hearts and put together this dish which we've enjoyed many times over the years.  The recipe is on a stained and yellowed recipe card.  It is delicious over steamed rice but there was none.  I opted for garlic and buttered French bread toast which was just fine.

After admiring my pristine refrigerator and pantry, I'm off to the grocery store ahead of the blizzard that is in our forecast for tomorrow.  So far, the weather people have been wrong but I'm taking no chances!

Chicken and Artichoke Casserole 

6 boneless and skinless chicken thighs, lightly browned (but not cooked through) and then cut into bite-sized pieces
4 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 cup of milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup chicken stock
2 cups marinated artichoke hearts, drained and sliced

Preheat oven to 350
1.  Place the chicken and artichoke hearts in a large, shallow baking dish.
2.  In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour stirring well for one minute.  Whisk in the milk until well incorporated.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir until slightly thickened.
3.  Stir in the Parmesan cheese and the wine.  Add the chicken stock and stir constantly until the sauce thickens.  Pour over the chicken and artichoke hearts.  Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet, cover with foil and bake for one hour.

ENJOY!