Poppyseed Chicken- With A Twist

I've never been to a potluck where there wasn't one or five casserole dishes filled with poppy-seed chicken. It is comfort food at it's finest in my opinion.
This dish reminds me of growing up in church and attending countless potlucks after church and running and playing with my friends while our parents chatted it up over this dish, chicken tetrazzini, corn casserole, KFC (you know there was always KFC at the potluck- served on a fancy dish no less to fool you into thinking it was homemade), and all the desserts you could imagine.
I love this recipe.

The thing about poppy-seed chicken is that it isn't filled with tons of flavor- which is probably it's a kid pleaser.
My husband prefers foods with flavor so we add a few extra things to give this dish the right amount of kick while keeping it true to it's origin. We also use chicken tenders instead of cubes of chicken as we like the consistency better.

My Aunt Debra actually introduced me into how to make it this way.

Here is what you'll need:
-1 frozen package (the big bag you find in the freezer section) of chicken tenders
-1 16 oz. container sour cream (I sometimes use light)
-2 cans cream of chicken soup
-thyme
-paprika
-1 roll of Ritz crackers (I used whole wheat this time)
-1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
-poppy seeds

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350. Place all of the chicken tenders (it's a lot) in the casserole dish. If they are frozen, place them in the casserole dish and then defrost in the microwave for just a few minutes. They don't have to be completely thawed. In a medium size bowl, combine the sour cream with the cream of chicken soup. In a large Ziploc bag crush the crackers and pour the melted butter. Zip it up and crush with your hands. Sprinkle the chicken with the thyme and paprika to your preference.
Pour the sour cream/chicken soup mixture on top of the chicken and then sprinkle the cracker crumbs on top. Sprinkle poppy seeds on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes until bubbly and the crackers are golden brown.

Perfection.
Serve it over rice with a green veggie on the side and pat yourself on the back :)

Chicken Tetrazzini

Are you ready for one of my favorite go-to comfort meals?

My husband and I love this dish and when we just need something that we know is always good, this is what we have. It is simple, fairly quick, and again...delicious.

My mom made this for my brother and I all the time when we were kids and I loved it every.single.time.
I like to think that my mom invented this recipe and that it is all hers, but I know that's not true because another lady from the church I went to most my life put it in the church cookbook...sigh :-/, but I can still pretend in my own little world.
There are so many different recipes out there for Chicken Tetrazzini, but this is my favorite one due to it's simplicity.

You will need:
-1 package of spaghetti, broken into thirds(you will only need a little more than half of the 13 oz package...and I use whole wheat most of the time- gotta save on calories when ya can)
-1/4 cup butter
-1/4 cup flour
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp pepper
-1 cup chicken broth
-1 cup heavy whipping cream (just do it, folks)
-2 T sherry (if you have it, no biggie if left out)
-2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (I always use a rotisserie and it is perfect)
-1 can (4 oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained
-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or however much you feel like!) Btw, I love freshly grated parm, but for this recipe I love the ol' powdery stuff in the green container.

Preheat oven to 350. Cook and drain spaghetti according to directions on box.
While the spaghetti noodles cook, I take the time to de-bone the chicken. While simultaneously kicking my dog out of the way.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring (best if you use a whisk) constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly.
Stir in broth and whipping cream. Heat to a boil, stirring constantly. (This is where the whisk is handy, helps keep the mixture smooth and creamy). Boil and stir for one minute (do not let it burn).
Stir in sherry (if using), spaghetti, chicken, and mushrooms.
Btw, your house smells delicious at this here moment.
Pour into an ungreased 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with however much Parmesan your heart desires (our hearts desire a lot of it).
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Look at how good this looks!
Serve with some green something rather (we gotta have something healthy, duh) and some garlic bread. Mmm good!

This is a great dish to make for someone who just had a baby or for when loved ones are ill. Besides the mushrooms, it doesn't have anything too crazy in it and so most people will love it.

Try it sometime! You won't be disappointed.

What are your go-to comfort meals?