Forgotten Chicken # 78

Let's go back - back to the days of cheesy casseroles and Jello salads at church potlucks (wait, I think that tradition lasts until today), back to the days before kale and quinoa hit it big, when no dinner was complete without a ¨cream of¨ something soup in it. Growing up, cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup were staples on our block. One of the more popular dishes - and one of my favorites - was this chicken-rice casserole, which also usually featured the addition of frozen peas.

This week, I've been channeling Nancy, the neighbor who provided both the Mrs. Manifold Bars and Beef Stroganoff recipes, as well as this Forgotten Chicken, at my bridal shower a decade ago. Not surprising that so many of her recipes are quick and easy to prepare - not only was she a working mom with 4 kids, but she also has an active civic and social life, always taking in strays (pets and people), swimming, playing the flute, etc.

We both enjoyed this dinner as a guilty pleasure. Trent said he thought it might be a bit too unhealthy to have regularly, though I countered that a can of cream of chicken soup can't be that bad for you. If you make this, do not make the mistake that I did and decide that if you halve the chicken, you can use a smaller, deeper pan - after an hours time, the chicken was still uncooked and the rice crunchy, so I moved it to a pan with the specified dimensions and stuck a meat thermometer in the chicken. Forty minutes later it was really done.

Forgotten Chicken

Buy a cut up chicken (do they even sell these anymore without actually asking someone at the meat department? I just ended up buying a package of chicken thighs). Lay chicken pieces in 9 x 11 pan over 1 c. rice mixed with one can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup and two cans water. Add onion, celery or spices as desired. Bake at 350, 1 hour. Makes: a great casserole.