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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
I made this the other night and it turned out really well. The chicken was moist and I had no problem with either the cheese or the cracker crumbs adhering. I used heavy cream instead of milk, because I just happened to have some. We will definitely have this again. Thank you for sharing!
Scrumptious! I had no trouble with the recipe and things not sticking. Mine looked just like the picture. Everyone loved it! I used shredded cheddar in the bag, econo-buy crackers and added a little more sour cream to the sauce…b/c I love sour cream. I served it with cornbread stuffing and mixed veggies. Great feel good, comfort food. My only complaint is that it’s 90 degrees here and I had to turn on my oven…well worth it for the finished product though! Yummo!
I tweaked this recipe and it came out DELICIOUS! What I did differently was put flour in a container and I added a package and a half of Hidden Valley Ranch and mixed….In another, I lightly whisked three eggs and added the milk and set aside and in another container, i mixed the Ritz Crackers and Cheddar Cheese…I got the chicken, dipped it into the egg mixture, then the seasoned flour, then the combined Ritz/Cheese, not forgetting to press and it stayed together BEAUTIFULLY…I baked it as directed, took the aluminum foil off and baked for 7 minutes, then broiled for another four minutes (have to watch carefully) and it was not only moist, but crispy and delicious! FOR THE SAUCE: I used a can of Cream of Mushroom and half a can of Cream of Chicken, Two Tablespoons of Sour Cream and butter and it was simply delicious!
2 T sour cream = tablespoons???
I think maybe using the bag of shredded cheese from the grocery store might be more successful. It has that anti-caking agent and might help it stick more to the chicken and not to itself in clumps. I grated a block of cheese and found it very difficult to work with. Still in the oven now *fingers crossed* that it turns out!
I used an egg instead of milk and shredded cheese and it turned out absolutely perfect. It looked and i’m sure tasted just like she described!! My husband was so PROUD of me for cooking such a delicious meal, little did he know it was easy to make!! I am so glad I found this recipe. It is printed out and in my recipe book of easy to do meals for beginner wives. ๐
This recipe sounds really good -looking forward to cooking it for the family! But could you tell me what I could use instead of ritz crackers??
This is one of the best chicken recipes I’ve ever made I made it two times the first time I used regular Ritz crackers the second time I used the roasted vegatable kind and to me it added a lot more flavor to the dish. it’s great
I mixed the crackers and cheese together. I first dipped the chicken in beaten egg instead of milk. Perfect kid-friendly meal.