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I have a simple dinner recipe for you today. Simple and easy and tasty and smile provoking…an all around treasure.
I love it when smiles are provoked. Heck. I’ll take a smile from my kids even without provoking it! It’s just so much nicer when people smile instead of whine.
Do you like whining?
Not a fan, myself.
Speaking of my children…the other day we were watching a cooking show on The Food Network and one of my kids said…
“Hey Mom, you like to cook.
Why don’t you be the cooker on that show?”
My response?
“I’m pretty sure The Food Network frowns upon cookers who use cream of chicken soup. I think I’m out.”
Especially since just last week three of the trial recipes I made for this little ol blog
crashed and burned in failure. I used real cream in all of them!
Cross your fingers that real cream and I can become friends soon.
I hear from the good folks on The Food Network that it’s a mighty fine ingredient.
Now. Do I feel embarrassed about cooking with cream of chicken soup? Heavens no! I just bought three cases of it last month.
Should you feel embarrassed about cooking with
cream of chicken soup?
Of course not!
Are you the cooking she-rah for your family or what?
Do make food that provokes a smile?
Do your family members occasionally say things like…
“You are The Bomb, Mom. What ever you made with that trusty old cream of chicken soup is rocking my world.”
I thought so.
I knew you were great!
We cream of chicken soup lovin’ ladies have to stick together.
Rice Pilaf with Almonds
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Baked French Fries
Roasted Broccoli with Balsamic Glaze
Glazed Rosemary Carrots
Roasted Asparagus
Now, let me show you how to make this crispy chicken happen!
1. Cut each chicken breast into 3 large chunks.
2. In a small food processor grind up the ritz crackers.
3. Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans. Toss the 1/4 t salt and 1/8 t pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine.
4. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk…
then the cheese. Press the cheese into the chicken with your fingers. Some of it will fall off when you add it to the cracker crumbs, don’t worry about it.
Press the cheesy chicken into the cracker crumbs and press it in. By the time you are coating the last piece of chicken, the dish you are using for the crumbs will be full of cheese. Don’t let it get you down. Once the cheese melts in the oven it will adhere nicely to the crumbs and the crackers.
5. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan.
6. Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken.
7. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy.
8. Into a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter with a whisk. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot. Serve over the chicken.
Enjoy!
Crispy Cheddar Chicken
***Note: This recipe makes a great freezer meal. Assemble the chicken according to recipe instructions, but don't bake it. Cover your pan tightly with foil and freeze. When you are ready to use it let it thaw completely and then bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. It's best to make the sauce fresh, when you are ready to eat.
Ingredients
Chicken:
4 large chicken breasts
2 sleeves Ritz crackers
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1/2 C milk
3 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 t dried parsley
Sauce:
1 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup
2 T sour cream
2 T butter
Instructions
1. Cut each chicken breast into 3 large chunks.
2. In a small food processor grind up the ritz crackers.
3. Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans. Toss the 1/4 t salt and 1/8 t pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine.
4. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk then the cheese. Press the cheese into the chicken with your fingers. Some of it will fall off when you add it to the cracker crumbs, don't worry about it. Press the cheesy chicken into the cracker crumbs and press it in. By the time you are coating the last piece of chicken, the dish you are using for the crumbs will be full of cheese. Don't let it get you down. Once the cheese melts in the oven it will adhere nicely to the crumbs and the crackers.
5. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan.
6. Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken.
7. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy.
8. Into a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter with a whisk. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot. Serve over the chicken.
https://jamiecooksitup.net/2011/10/crispy-cheddar-chicken/Recipe from www.jamiecooksitup.net
Recipe from adapted from What’s Cookin’ Chicago via Pinterest
Well I *was* going to make chicken pot pie for dinner tomorrow night, but now I'm making THIS!
I'd have to agree with Peklet Mom's sentiments when she said “Thanks for keepin' it real”!
I made this last night and it was really easy and very good! My husband gave it 2 thumbs up! The gravy is a must!!! Thanks for posting!
Jamie, When I saw the word “Crispy” I thought hmm, must be fried. Then I saw the word Cheddar and I wondered “What the?” So I had to check it out more closely. I was so happy to see this was baked. I know it is far from low cal, but still, it's not fried! Thank you again for all your work. Also, I want to thank you for putting an option to print the recipes WITH a picture. It really helps me – I love seeing what it 'should' look like when I get done making it. You Rock.
We tried this for dinner last night and it was a hit! I was told I should have made a double batch! lol
Thanks for the great recipe! =)
Just made this recipe but instead of the sauce I made an Alfredo and served it over penne pasta! AMAZING and SUPER easy!
Used panko bread crumbs instead of the crackers and pre-cut chicken tenderloins and it came was delicious! And I couldn't believe how easy it was. Thank you!
Sounds fantastic to me!! I think I know what's for dinner tonight! Oh, and BTW, what you just did with that trusty can of cream of chicken soup? It's rocking my world! 😉
I found your recipe on Pinterest, and I made it for dinner tonight. My very picky daughter loved it! I used Roasted Vegetable Ritz (like another commenter did) and omitted the salt in the breading. Delicious! Thanks so much! I will definitely be getting lost in your blog for several hours in the near future!
I had a REALLY hard time getting my cheese to stick to the chicken. I ended up mixing the cheese with the cracker crumbs…..BUT wow was this good! My daughter said I should make this once a week (along with the delicious rice pilaf)!
I, also, had a hard time getting the cheese to stick, and mixed them but still didn't get much to stick so I spread all the leftover crumb/cheese mixture over all the chicken pieces in the pan. It was a hit. Next time I will pound the chicken though. It was too thick and dense.
Soup-er : ) tasty! I'm with Jamie though, I had a hard time getting the cheese to stick–I use skim and didn't know if the lack of fat had anything to do with that. I wisked an egg in with the milk after 2 pieces and switched to a fine grate cheese and it helped a bit. And I had a TON of cracker crumbs left. One sleeve of Ritz would have done it for me. All that being said–it was yummy and my picky people ate it up!