OK, before you get all hot and bothered about the can of cream of mushroom (c. of m.) soup used in this recipe, let me just say that I stopped buying cream of mushroom soup by the case after my kids were all out of the house. But as a working mother, c. of m. soup really came in handy. And to this day, I always have at least one can in my pantry. Why you ask, when it’s so easy to build a white sauce? Well, in case you are new to reading my blog, you know that on occasion I welcome a little help as much as the next cook. And of more importance, some of my favorite recipes, like this decades old standby, are perfect as written. So who am I to choose culinary purity over recipe integrity?

And yes I understand there are unpronounceable ingredients in canned c. of m. soup. But I probably only use c. of m. soup a couple times a year. So don’t bother writing me defending your choice to never use this scary ingredient laden product. I understand your position. But I’m going to pigheadedly ignore the facts and stick to my guns on this one. (Hey – if our political leaders can ignore facts, and crazy people can bear arms, I feel it’s acceptable for me to defend my use of c. of m. soup on a very sporadic basis!)

Anyway, now that I have explained myself, I can get back to telling you about this great dish. It’s really easy to prepare. And it tastes like you have been slaving in the kitchen for hours. And it’s comfort food to the max. And it’s company worthy. (When it’s once again safe and sane to entertain guests, that is!) So now’s the time to make this delightful chicken dish in preparation for serving it to guests in (hopefully) the near future.

As always – stay safe, stay positive, and who knows? Maybe someday food scientists will discover that disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate are actually good for us!  

And sorry about no picture. Some days I just space out on parts of my duty as keeper of the blog. I blame it on my age.

8 pieces of chicken (boneless, skinless thighs or halved breasts)

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 c. sour cream

2 T. fresh lemon juice

1/3 c. chicken broth or water

1 can cream of mushroom soup

8-10 sliced button or cremini mushrooms

paprika (Hungarian sweet paprika is best for this dish)

Place chicken in a shallow, lightly buttered baking dish. Lightly sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Whisk the sour cream, lemon juice, chicken broth, and soup together. Stir in the mushrooms.

Pour evenly over the chicken. Sauce should coat and almost cover the pieces. Sprinkle generously with paprika.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 90 minutes or until the chicken pieces are done and the top is lightly browned.

Great served with Simple Baked Rice Pilaf (recipe on site) and a steamed green veggie. A nice chilled Semillon is also perfect with this meal.