If you’ve been cooking as long as I have, you know a good base recipe is just the beginning. For extra flavor, you can season the chicken lightly with salt, pepper, and a little garlic or onion powder before adding the soup mixture. If you like a hint of holiday flavor, stir a handful of dried cranberries or a few chopped pecans into the stuffing before baking. To sneak in some vegetables, scatter a cup or two of frozen mixed vegetables or broccoli florets over the chicken before you add the soup and stuffing; they’ll cook right along with everything else. If cream of chicken soup isn’t your favorite, cream of mushroom or cream of celery works just fine and gives a slightly different personality to the dish. For darker, richer meat, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts—just trim them well and allow a few extra minutes of baking time if they’re thick. And for those feeding a smaller household, halve the recipe and bake it in an 8x8-inch dish, then tuck the leftovers in the fridge; like many casseroles from our Midwestern tables, it’s often even better warmed up the next day.
Enjoy your food!
'Crowd Favorite': Just 5 ingredients. New Year guests always ask for it.
