This is my sister, Shari's recipe. She is also an excellent southern cook, but she lives in another state so we don't get to cook with her very often. She has some dishes she makes that I have never been able to quite duplicate to taste just like she makes them. You know how every good cook has those recipes that just never taste the same when you try to make them? I have never figured out if it's just because it tastes better when you don't have to do the cooking or they actually leave a certain ingredient out when they give you the recipe...lol. I have accused my mother of doing this, but she says she just actually forgets what she puts in some things, because she has made them so long. I know that feeling also, we just almost cook some things on remote control. We have really had to slow down and remember each and every ingredient for this blog.
My sister's hamburger steaks come to mind when thinking of things certain folks make better than anyone else. She makes the best. She has given me and my mother her 'recipe' and we have tried to make them the same way, but they never taste the same. How can something so simple taste so different? It's just this strange thing about cooking, everyone has their special dishes.
My sister got this recipe years ago from a friend of hers and it's one of her families favorites. It makes a great main dish and is a good way to sneak some broccoli in on the kids and husband or you could use less chicken and more broccoli and it makes a wonderful side dish for your holiday buffet also. You could also substitute some of your leftover turkey in it as a good way to use up all of that holiday bird after the holiday is over. Here is what you will need for this:
large package of frozen broccoli florets or an equal amount of fresh broccoli florets
4-6 chicken breast, cooked and diced into bite size pieces
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. curry
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
dash black pepper
2 cups herbed stuffing mix (like Pepperidge Farm or even Stovetop)
1/2 stick butter, melted
Cook broccoli according to package directions or if fresh, just steam until tender. Drain well. Don't overcook because you will be baking this also.
Lay bite size broccoli florets in a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish.
Spread the diced chicken over top of the broccoli.
Mix the soup, mayonnaise, curry powder, lemon juice, and cheddar cheese and a dash of black pepper. Spread evenly over the chicken and broccoli.
Mix the melted butter with the herbed stuffing mix. Sprinkle that evenly over the entire top of the casserole.
Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until it is bubbly around the edges and just starting to brown on top.
Shari's Chicken Broccoli Stuffing Bake!
4 things in this wonderful recipe that could change the taste: brand of soup, brand of butter, brand of mayonnaise and brand of cheese. Cheese could also change the taste, is it mild, sharp or extra sharp. A friend of one of my sons loved my pimiento cheese and when he got married wanted my recipe. He said his wife used the recipe but it wasn't like mine. I asked what brand of mayo she used, he told me what it was and I replied to him what brand she should get next time. They were both amazed that something so simple could change the entire taste. Since then when I share a recipe I put brand names on everything along with a note that if there is a substitute made, I'm not responsible if it doesn't taste as it should.
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