Joyce’s Baked Sour Cream Chicken

Life is complicated: This outstanding recipe comes to you via my late husband Lorne Parton’s former wife, Joyce (now Joyce Cooney). I pinched it from Joyce’s excellent 1974 cookbook: How to Laugh at Meat Prices: Butcher Money Where Your Mouth Is. 

Joyce’s recipe uses a cut-up frying chicken. That seemed like too much work for me, so I slammed six meaty bone-in thighs into a 9x9 in. (23x23 cm) casserole dish (which reminds me of the annual attempt to squeeze my own meaty bone-in thighs into last summer’s bathing suit. Not a pretty picture, Dollinks). 

This casserole is easy and delicious - a great little dish to serve guests with almost no work. I’ve modified Joyce’s recipe, but only slightly.

Joyce’s Baked Sour Cream Chicken:

2 tsp. (10 mL) canola oil
6 large chicken thighs, skinned and bone-in
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
One 10-oz. (284 mL) can cream of mushroom soup
1 pkg dried onion soup mix (see Note)
1 c. (250 mL) sour cream
1 tbsp. (15 mL) lemon juice
1 tsp. (5 mL) dried dill weed
2 tbsp. (30 mL) chopped, fresh parsley, stems removed, as garnish

Preheat oven to 350° F.  On medium heat in a large skillet, bring oil to sizzling point. Brown chicken on all sides until golden. Place thighs in spray-greased 13x9-in. (33x23 cm) casserole. Season chicken to taste. In a medium bowl, combine mushroom soup, dried onion soup mix, sour cream, lemon juice, and dill weed. Spoon over chicken in baking dish. Bake 1-1/2 hr. Serve immediately. 

Note: The quantities in packages of dried onion soup mix vary around the world. I used a popular brand that contained slightly less than 1/4 c. (60 mL).

Further Note: As so often happens, we just couldn’t wait to eat this! That’s why there are no photos!