Chicken with Dried Beef - Family Favorite

This may be my most favorite meal ever. I could eat it weekly. If I ever had to choose a last meal, this would probably be it (or a truly perfect medium rare steak, but I can't make that myself). I know it doesn't look like much, but trust me, it is yummy yummy! And I only learned in the last few years that our source for this recipe is my great-grandmother; that makes it extra special. I know she didn't invent it. I've seen it called Chicken Supreme or various other type things around the web, but we know about it because of her. Since we're having a "lean" Valentine's Day this year (no cards for DH and me (we did get our son a card), no dinner out like usual), I've decided to make this for dinner tonight instead. It's red and white, and both DH and I adore it. Sounds perfect to me!

Chicken with Dried Beef
Source: Helen Click (Erin's great-grandmother)

Ingredients:

• 1 small jar (2.25 oz) dried beef
• 16 oz sour cream (reduced fat is fine, not fat free)
• 1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup (fat free is fine)
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2-3 cups prepared rice

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Cut dried beef into small pieces (about 1/2 inch). Sprinkle about half into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish until the bottom is mostly covered.
• In a small bowl, combine sour cream, mushroom soup, and remaining dried beef.
• Evenly space chicken breasts in a single layer on top of the dried beef. Top chicken breasts with sour cream mixture.
• Cover with foil and bake for 60-70 minutes. Uncover and let stand 5 minutes. Serve chicken and sauce over prepared rice.

Erin’s Notes:

• I usually make it with reduced fat sour cream and fat free soup, though it is extra decadent with the full fat versions of both.
• The original recipe called for wrapping each chicken breast in bacon and adding a whole stick of butter to the sauce! YIKES! I've never made it that way, though. Trust me, this is perfectly yummy just the way it is.

Ritzy Chicken Casserole - Family Favorite

I tell you what, casseroles just don't photograph very pretty! The top just looks pretty boring, and it looks rather goopy/nonpretty on the plate. I tried several different shots of this one, but never got one I was truly happy with. I did try a bit of an action shot that turned out okay, so these photos will have to do.



Still, don't judge a meal by its appearance. This is one of our family favorite meals, one my mom has been making as long as I can remember. I believe the only change we've made to it in all these years is the addition of the pasta, making it more of a true casserole (meat plus starch in one) than it was before. Hope you enjoy!

Ritzy Chicken Casserole
Source: Unknown

Ingredients:

• 8 oz pasta (we prefer spaghetti broken in half, or elbows)
• 2 large cans of white meat chicken, drained (or 3-4 cups shredded cooked chicken)
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (fat free is fine)
• 8 oz sour cream (reduced fat is fine)
• 1-2 Tbsp milk, if needed
• 1 tube ritz crackers
• 1/4 cup (half a stick) butter or margarine, melted

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cook pasta according to package instructions until cooked through but still firm. Drain.
• In large bowl, combine chicken meat, cream of chicken soup, and sour cream. Stir in pasta until well combined, adding milk if necessary to thin out the mixture to coat the pasta better.
• In large ziptop bag, crush crackers. Add melted butter and mix until crumbs are coated and butter is absorbed. Set aside.
• Pour chicken mixture into 2 quart baking dish. Top with buttered cracker crumbs.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until top is deeply golden and mixture is bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Notes:
* Can substitute 2 cups cooked rice for pasta, if desired. Definitely add the milk to the mixture if you do, since the rice will absorb more moisture from the mixture than the pasta.