My husband, Keith, and I are making plans to attend his family reunion soon, and we are thinking up ideas of what dish to bring to the covered-dish lunch.
In the past, I have brought chicken spaghetti, which was a hit; shrimp and grits, which was surprisingly not; chocolate cobbler, which was scraped clean in a matter of minutes; and of course, potato salad, a staple at any covered-dish event.
My daddy loathed the word “potluck,” so the Eudora Presbyterian Church never held a “potluck” dinner but a covered-dish lunch on the church grounds. These luncheons are made up of a smorgasbord of random dishes that fit together surprisingly well considering – kind of like catfish and spaghetti. I never realized how good a lime Jello mold and cornbread dressing are when eaten together. Forget the cranberry sauce!
My momma was the queen of the covered-dish luncheon. She always was assigned the main dish – usually fried chicken or ham. Over the years, Momma and Daddy started ordering 50 pieces of chicken from the grocery store to bring to the luncheons. Who can blame them?
Can you imagine frying 50 pieces of chicken for one lunch? That’s quite the commitment – one I’m not willing to take on personally. My friend Mildred Fondren always said you must really love someone to fry them chicken, especially during the hot summer months. I think that applies year round.
As Keith and I prepare for the Reynolds reunion, we threw out some options of what we could bring. Every dish we named was a casserole -- a Southern staple and one of my favorite things to make. One dish and a side of green vegetable, and a meal is made.
When I met Keith, he told me he was not fond of cream of chicken dishes. It took me a minute to realize that he meant he wasn’t fond of casseroles made with cream of chicken soup. He just had not had a cream of chicken casserole that is truly dish-scraping good.
The Cheesy Ranch Potato casserole is such a dish.
Cheesy Ranch Potato Casserole
2 (10.75 ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
1 package dry ranch dressing mix
1 (3 ounce) package Oscar Mayer real bacon bits
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 (32 ounces) package shredded hash brown potatoes
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together cream of chicken soup, sour cream, Ranch mix, bacon and cheese. Stir in hash browns and coat thoroughly. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes, until heated through.
In every church congregation cookbook published in the South, variations of the classic chicken casserole always makes the cut of favorite dishes. Some like to call this Company Casserole as well, since it makes the table for many formal Sunday lunches when the pastor comes to dine.
Classic Chicken Casserole
2 cups cooked, diced chicken
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup minute rice, uncooked
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 eggs, hard boiled, sliced
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 tablespoon onion, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cornflakes, crushed
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl except for the cornflakes and butter. Pour mixture into a greased casserole dish. Mix crushed cornflakes and melted butter together. Sprinkle over casserole mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.
I got this recipe from my friend, Sue Stidham. It is super easy and tastes more like a chicken pot pie without the Veg-All.
Chicken and Dumpling Casserole
3-4 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (use rotisserie chicken if desired)
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups chicken broth
1 (10.75 ounces) can cream of chicken soup
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place butter in 9 X 13 baking dish and place in oven while it’s preheating. Once butter is melted, remove the pan to continue with the recipe. Remove pan from the oven and sprinkle prepared chicken over the top of the butter. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, flour, baking powder and salt. Pour over the chicken, but do not stir. In same bowl, after scraping out as much flour mixture as possible, whisk together chicken broth and cream of chicken soup. Pour that over top of casserole; do not stir. Bake uncovered for 35 – 45 minutes. When done, the top will be beautifully browned and bubbly around the edges.
I am a sucker for Mexican food. I think it is the combination of cumin and sour cream that makes Mexican dishes so delicious. You must try this taco casserole, and if you have a picky husband like mine, you can leave off the lettuce, tomato, and black olives, and it is still delicious.
Taco Casserole
2 pounds ground beef
2 packets taco seasoning
4 large eggs
3/4 cups milk
1 1/4 cups biscuit/baking mix
Dash pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups chopped lettuce
3/4 - 1 cup chopped tomato
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Black olives
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cook beef over medium heat in a large skillet until no longer pink. Drain meat and add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Add meat to a greased 9x13 pan and set aside. Beat eggs and milk in a large bowl. Stir in biscuit mix and pepper and mix until combined well. Pour over meat and bake until golden brown (about 20-25 minutes). Let cool for a few minutes and then spread on sour cream. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese and olives. Serve warm and ENJOY!
Tina Gatlin, office manager at The Winona Times and The Conservative, says her family loves this slow cooker casserole. She refers to is as “chicken casserole crack.”
Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Casserole
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion, chopped
1 8 ounce box Zatarain's Yellow Rice Mix, cooked according to directions
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup (regular or fat free)
1 15 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Scatter chopped onion over top. Spoon cream soup over top of that. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. A few minutes before serving, add in cooked rice, corn, and cheese. Stir to combine. Serve hot.
