Easy Creamed Chicken

This casserole is bland. Sometimes, a little bland is exactly what you need: A touchy (blee-ah!) tummy; a blinding, staggering hangover; a pounding headache. When you need bland, serve this chicken.

My mother made exactly this chicken when I was a child. It was my favorite dish! I was thrilled (I really was!) to find her recipe after all these years: Strike Up the Bland! 

I’ve written about my mother before: “My mother had absolutely no interest in cooking - zip! The kitchen tool she valued most was a can opener. When she wasn’t caressing the keyboard to play Chopin, she pounded a mean boogie-woogie on the piano - all day, every day.” 

My mother certainly wasn’t the world’s best cook, but she more than made up for it with her brilliant classical piano recitals and yes, her boogie-woogie. 

Easy Creamed Chicken:

One 10-oz. (284 mL) can condensed cream of mushroom soup 1-1/3 c. (329 mL) water 

3/4 c. (180 mL) long-grain white rice, uncooked 

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chunked 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

Parsley, chopped fine, as garnish 

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly greased a 11 x 8x 2-in. (28 x 20 x 5 cm) baking dish. Combine soup and water and rice in dish, seasoning to taste. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place chicken over rice mixture. 

Bake 45 min. in covered baking dish or until chicken has cooked through and rice is tender. Let stand, still covered, 10 min. Gently stir rice to distribute sauce. Top with a little parsley. Serves 4 hung-over adults, with a little left over for that guy with his head in the toilet, hoping he’ll just fwo up! and feel a little better.