Cafeteria Comfort Food: Part Deux

Chicken & Gravy...over mashed potatoes (or rice...or egg noodles...up to you). Nothing says 1976 to me like a good old fashioned school cafeteria comfort meal. My latest take? Boneless chicken breasts, a can of Campbell's creamy wonder and select spices playing together in the crockpot for about 6-8 hours. Yup, that's it. And, dang, is it tasty. What is it about glowing up the meals of our youth? Let's face it, unless your mom or dad was a professional chef, chances are there were more than a few meals on rotation that featured a can of Campbell's soup. Today's star is Cream of Chicken. Full calorie, full fat, full sodium C o' C...none of this heart healthy stuff. If I am going in, I'm going in hardcore.

And "Great for Cooking" is right! This is the flavor bomb of my youth...bringing up memories of my mom, our home on Cape Cod, middle & high school years...too many recollections to count and each one more special than the other. Need to extend Thanksgiving gravy? Cream of Chicken. Need a tasty binder for a casserole? Cream of Chicken. Need a "quick" chicken pot pie? Cream of Chicken. Cheater's enchilada sauce? Cream of Chicken. The uses and options are endless. PS: same goes for Cream of Celery and Cream of Mushroom.

Yes, it is this saucy and splendid!

Seriously, this dish is very, very simple and really, really delicious. A note on hot sauce...Tabasco is always great, but if you can, I've found Valentina to be a really lovely, understated flavor shot that doesn't overpower a dish and isn't so "obviously" Tabasco. If you are not comfortable adding it to the cooking sauce at the start, save it for the end and try just a little. The flavor won't be as deep and developed as it is when simmering for hours, but you will see, a splash definitely adds a certain je ne sais quoi.

Crockpot Chicken & Gravy

--------------------------INGREDIENTS---------------------------------

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (can be frozen) 1 can Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup (with or without herbs) 1 1/2 cups chicken broth 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon dried parsley Splash hot sauce (to taste)

---------------------------DIRECTIONS----------------------------------

Add boneless chicken breasts to crockpot...no need to pre-cook. In fact, can be added frozen, but plan to cook the full 8 hours. Whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour over chicken breasts. Cook on low for 6-8 hours (8 if starting with frozen breasts). Prior to serving, shred chicken with two forks in the crockpot. Test for flavor. Add salt, pepper or more hot sauce if you like. Serve over rice, egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

If you are feeling really ambitious, pour the fully-cooked mixture into a 9x13" baking dish, finish with a sheet of puff pastry (be sure to poke a few holes in the top) and bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes in a 375ºF oven (or until the pastry is golden and puffy)...and, huzzah, you have a "Premium White Meat Chicken Pie" with lots of gravy! It's not exactly the same, but it's very similar to the old school New England-made Willow Tree Pies.