Chicken Goop

Don’t judge me because I made a Campbell’s Soup casserole.

 

 

 

 

But you can trust me.  It’s good!

 

 

This casserole actually comes with a funny story.  Yesterday was my friend Jen’s birthday.  Not to be confused with Jennifer.  Jen is an old friend that I met when she moved in next door to Chris and me about 15 years ago.  This recipe comes from her family.  And since it was her birthday, I was thinking of her.  And the famous (infamous?) Chicken Goop.

 

 

 

 

Jen has 2 sisters and a brother.  When they were kids their parents went out of town and left them with a nanny that was something less than Mary Poppins.

 

 

 

 

The description probably got more exaggerated over the years, but she was depicted as someone who had more in common with Curella deVil.

 

 

 

 

 

Granted, she had 4 kids under the age of 14 to take care of that were not her own.

 

 

 

 

Maybe those little monkeys were unruly.  Maybe not.  If you ask them, they were all angels.

 

 

 

 

So, Cruella was supposed to fix them dinner and Jen’s mom left some options in the fridge that she made ahead of time.

 

 

 

 

Cruella said they could have this, (no one can remember the other options), this, or “this chicken goop.”

 

 

 

 

They chose the chicken goop.

 

 

 

 

The name stuck.  No one really knows where the name or the recipe came from, but it was a family favorite they shared with us.

 

 

 

 

We had this divine concoction together many times and I have great memories of my friend and her family.

 

 

 

 

Until she deserted me and moved to Florida.

 

 

I have changed the recipe over the years.  It originally came with chunky chicken, cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup and orange cheddar.

 

I shred the chicken, and use white sharp cheddar and garlic cream of mushroom soup.

 

 

It’s a casserole.  You can’t mess it up.  Do what you want.

 

 

And Jen?  I miss you!

 

 

Thanks a bunch for leaving me.

 

 

Have fun with the alligators!

 

 

And Happy Birthday!

 

 Chicken Goop

 Ingredients: 

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt

Pepper

2 cans Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup with roasted garlic

2 cups Hellman’s mayonaise (this is not an advertisement — I just prefer Hellman’s)

1 16 oz package of frozen broccoli florets

8 oz extra sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded

 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Generously salt and pepper chicken.  Bake until juices run clear (about 25 minutes).

Cook broccoli according to package directions.

When chicken is done, shred with a food processor, forks, or other kitchen device.  (I used a Pampered Chef Chopper, but I recommend the food processor).

Chop broccoli.

Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.  Layer broccoli on the bottom and then the next layer with the chicken.

Combine soup and mayonaise and spread on top of the chicken.  This is kind of like frosting a cake.

Top with cheese.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Note: I serve with rice, bread and a salad.