mkretro chicken n chips casserole~ what you’d eat if you had dinner with June and Ward Cleaver.
When I was a kid, I loved watching the old black and white TV shows.. Lassie, Leave It To Beaver, Dobie Gillis and Ozzie and Harriet were some of my favorites. I later grew to love to more colorful shows like The Brady Bunch and Flipper. No… I’m not a child of the 50s and 60s, either. My mom just exposed me to those types of shows growing up, and I fell in love with the simplicity of sitcom life.
I loved that all the problems were solved in a half hour, except for the rare “to be continued” that sometimes appeared on the more dramatic episodes of Lassie.
When MTV came out (or I was exposed to it) I was sitting in a hospital emergency room around four am. My mother had been beaten, raped and left for dead in a canal up the road. She was undergoing examination and having her jaw wired shut as it had been broken when she was pistol whipped. I remember being freezing cold and seeing “Billie Jean” being played…
I was eight years old.
She soon recovered, but as for that night… I think it will forever haunt me.
However, I still loathe MTV and love my old shows.
I am fully aware that there is no life in reality that exists like those shows, I am more than aware of the bad things of this world, I chose to not expose myself to grimness when I can. There is enough that’s in your face on the local news. The kitchen, however is one of those places where you can escape to the 50s, even if just for an evening, experience the blissful life all wrapped up in a bubbly cheesy casserole.
What it is , basically… is a chunks of white meat chicken, red and green bell peppers, scallions, celery, crunchy water chestnuts and lemon juice baked up in a creamy sherry infused sauce and topped with crushed potato chips and cheese. I’m not sure who the original inventor of this dish was- my mom used to whip it up out of memory and I do the same, but today I will share a recipe for it. You’ll be whipping it up by memory soon, too.
Why, you ask?
Think of it as the ultimate comfort food and use of stuff lying around your pantry dinner ever!
retro chicken n chips casserole
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts cooked and cubed
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 4 scallions sliced - including green and white
- 1 can sliced water chestnuts
- 2 stalks celery sliced
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sherry
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 cups crushed potato chips
- 1 cup shredded cheese divided
Instructions
- In a bowl combine all ingredients except the chips and 1/2 cup of the cheese.
- Place in a greased 9x13" casserole dish and top with remaining chips and cheese.
- Bake in a preheated 400 oven for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly.
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This was a fancy chicken casserole when I was growing up. I served it several times when I entertained as a young bride and always got good reviews!
what kind of cheese do you use?
How do I see all of your recipes?
Guess what? Ozzie & Hariet is on a channel that I get up here in Canada, will be making this for myself. Thanks for the recipes and bio. sick and sorry aboutyour Mom,
Hello. Thank you for sharing this recipe. The combination of the ingredients will be delicious. I’m planning it for dinner tonight. I’m awfully sorry about your mother, I hope she’s doing well. Most of your memories are familiar to me, as my mom always made our family life as pleasant as possible. Thank you again for sharing.