The Hungry Canary

Adapted from Ideals Family Cookbook · Mrs. Walter Rentsch

Chicken and Broccoli

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Ingredients

  • 6 whole chicken breasts
  • 4 packages (10 oz each) frozen broccoli (40 oz total)
  • 2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup (use wheat-free if needed)
  • 1½ cups mayonnaise
  • ⅔ cup half-and-half, or a mixture of equal parts milk and cream
  • 1½ cups grated cheddar cheese
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp curry powder
  • 1 cup fine dry sorghum-based breadcrumbs, buttered (original: fine dry bread crumbs)
  • Butter, enough to moisten breadcrumbs

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Cook the chicken until fully done (165°F), then allow it to cool in its cooking liquid. Remove bones and cut chicken into strips.
  2. Cook broccoli just until crisp-tender and drain well.
  3. In a bowl, mix mayonnaise, half-and-half, grated cheddar, lemon juice, curry powder and condensed cream of chicken soup.
  4. Arrange chicken and broccoli in a large casserole dish. Pour the creamy sauce over them.
  5. Toss the fine dry sorghum-based breadcrumbs with enough melted butter to moisten, then scatter over the casserole.
  6. Bake at 350°F for approximately 40 minutes, until hot throughout and the topping is golden.

Cookbook source

“Chicken and Broccoli,” contributed by Mrs. Walter Rentsch to the Ideals Family Cookbook. The original uses six whole chicken breasts, four 10-ounce packages of frozen broccoli, two cans cream of chicken soup, 1½ cups mayonnaise, ⅔ cup half-and-half or equal parts milk and cream, 1½ cups cheddar cheese, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon curry powder and one cup fine dry buttered breadcrumbs. The chicken is cooked and cooled in its liquid, boned and sliced; broccoli is cooked crisp-tender; the remaining sauce ingredients are combined and poured over the chicken and broccoli. Top with breadcrumbs and bake 40 minutes at 350°F.

Hungry Canary substitutions

Breadcrumbs: The adapted version suggests one cup of fine dry sorghum-based breadcrumbs in place of ordinary wheat breadcrumbs; this is a planned substitution pending a tested recipe. Condensed soup: Standard canned cream of chicken soup may include wheat flour. Use an appropriate wheat-free version or a homemade substitute, retaining the two-can measure from the original. The author explicitly offers equal parts milk and cream as an alternative to half-and-half.

Preparation notes

The four broccoli packages total 40 ounces, so choose a large casserole dish or divide into two dishes if necessary. The original does not specify a pan size or exact amount of butter for the topping.