This recipe is a great way to use your discard and create a savory meal that's easy, nutritious, and really good. You can make the crepes ahead and refrigerate them until you're ready to assemble the casserole. You actually only need one crepe for the recipe, so you'll have extra to use another way (see the recipe for tuna-broccoli crepes I'll post later). The crepe forms the shell for the casserole--think of a low-carb pie crust that's soft and pliable rather than hard and crunchy. The casserole is filled with mushrooms, onions, apple, and chicken and held together with a simple sauce and a little Swiss cheese. I pop the small casserole in the air fryer to cook, but you can bake it in a 350-degree oven for 20-25 minutes, if you prefer. With plenty of vegetables, protein, and fiber, the casserole is fine (in moderation, of course) if you're on a diabetic diet or "just want to eat healthy." Enjoy!
Chicken Sourdough Crepe Bake (Diabetic Friendly) -- Serves 4
1 - 2 teaspoons of canola oil
4 ounces of sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup of chopped red onion (or substitute yellow or white onion)
1/4 cup of chopped celery
1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon of poultry seasoning
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of pepper
1 small peeled, cored apple, chopped
1 tablespoon of white whole-wheat flour
1 cup of milk (I use 1 percent)
1 cup of cooked, chopped chicken
1/2 cup of shredded Swiss cheese, divided
1/3 cup of light sour cream
1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese
1 large, cooked crepe (see below for recipe)
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet or chef's pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, and celery to the pan and saute them for about five minutes or until they begin to soften. Sprinkle on the thyme, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper, and stir in the apple pieces. Continue to saute the mixture for about five minutes or until the apple starts to soften. Stir in the flour and keep stirring for a minute or so. Whisk in the milk. Turn down the heat to medium-low, and keep whisking gently until the sauce thickens, like a gravy. Stir in the chopped chicken until combined. Turn off the heat and stir in half of the Swiss cheese and the light sour cream. Spritz a quart casserole dish (or similar) with non-stick cooking spray. Line the dish with the cooked crepe, letting part of the crepe extend up the sides of the dish. Pour the filling into the crepe, smoothing out the filling a little on the top. Sprinkle on the remaining Swiss cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Spritz the top of the casserole with a little non-stick cooking spray (it will hold the cheese in place). Air fry the casserole at 320 degrees for about 20 minutes or until it is hot, bubbly, and the cheese has formed a golden brown crust. Let the casserole cool a few minutes before serving it.
Sourdough Crepes -- Makes 6+
1 cup of sourdough starter
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons of canola oil
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3/4 - 1 cup of milk (depending on the stiffness of your starter)
1/2 cup of white whole-wheat flour
In a large bowl whisk together well the starter, eggs, oil, salt, and about 1/2 cup of the milk. Whisk in the 1/2 cup of white whole-wheat flour until combined. Whisk in enough of the remaining milk to create a thin pancake batter. The batter should be just a little thicker than heavy cream, not as thick as regular pancake batter. Heat an 8-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and spritz it with canola oil (or brush the pan with oil). Pour in about 1/4 cup of crepe batter on one side of the pan and immediately tilt the pan to swirl the batter around the pan. Let the crepe cook until the edges are set and the middle of the crepe takes on a slightly matte finish--about 3 minutes, depending on the heat in your pan. Flip the crepe carefully with a spatula and let it cook on the second side for a minute or two. Remove the crepe to a plate and repeat the process with the remaining batter. Use the crepes immediately or store the finished crepes in the refrigerator (I slide them, flat, into a gallon-sized bag) and use them later.