I love reading church cookbooks — some of the names for the recipes — they entertain me! How could I resist this one called Newlywed Lemon Chicken, with the contributor’s comment that she and her husband ate this once a week for the first year of their marriage because she knew how to make it!
Because I NEVER post a recipe I haven’t tested and have made my husband try, I sometimes find I need to either update or change part of the recipe for various reasons. I will be honest and say my husband and I don’t always agree on the results of a recipe, we have different tastes. He doesn’t like sauces unless it is ketchup, mustard, red spaghetti sauce or sweet and sour – so this was a little out of his wheelhouse. But he was a sport and helped me with my testing. He thought it was just OK, while I enjoyed the zippy sauce and would make it again — maybe a luncheon with my girlfriends.
I did cut down the recipe, because with two pounds of chicken the newlyweds must have been eating for days if you consider three to four ounces is a normal portion. I am also a big fan of browning any meat I put in the oven, it provides some depth of flavor and color to the dish. The original recipe also baked this for an hour — which if you used bone in chicken and did not brown you might need to reach 165 degrees which is the safe temperature for chicken. Since I was using chicken breasts and browning them, I cut the time to 30 to 40 minutes or until they reach 165 degrees. Chicken breasts come in such different sizes the only true way to ensure it is done is to either cook the heck out it or use a meat thermometer.
Mix soup, paprika, salt, lemon pepper, tarragon & lemon juice in a bowl
This recipe calls for dried tarragon. I had some I had harvested last fall. To get more flavor rub the dried herb in your fingers before adding it to your sauce. If you use fresh tarragon you will want to double the amount, it is much milder fresh.
To add flavor and depth to your dish, brown your chicken pieces first in about 2 TBSP oil 2 to 4 minutes until just brown.
This is my Julia Child move — an extra step you don’t need to take, but adds extra flavor to the dish. I added about 2 to 4 oz of white wine to deglaze all of they yummy brown bits and flavor from the pan. After I took it off the stove I stirred in 1 to 2 TBPS of butter. I mixed this into my sauce mix for extra flavor.
Spread a small amount of the sauce on the bottom of the pan before you put the chicken into your pan. Keeps it from sticking and gives more flavor.
Cover and bake for about 30 to 40 minutes depending on how thick your chicken breasts are — I like to uncover it for about 10 to 15 minutes at the end. Your chicken is done at 165 degrees.
Cut some lemon slices for garnish. Make an additional small cut about 1/2 through and twist to fancy up your dish.
Serve with or over rice and your favorite veggie. (Real life — I overcooked the peas)
According to the newlywed bride this also works great in a Crock-Pot. Cook for 4 to 6 hours on a high setting or for 8 to 10 hours on a low setting. Serve over rice.
- 1 cans golden mushroom soup
- ½ tsp paprika
- ⅛ tsp lemon pepper
- 2 TBS fresh lemon juice
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 TBS Olive Oil or your favorite oil
- 4 chicken breasts (4 oz)
- Fresh lemon slices
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a bowl combine soup, paprika, lemon pepper, tarragon & lemon juice
- Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper
- Add oil to pan on med heat until hot
- Brown chicken breasts on each side -- 2 to 4 minutes each side
- **Optional Julia Child Step: When chicken breast have browned, remove from pan. Deglaze the pan with a small amount of a dry white wine -- 2 to 4 oz. , take off of heat and stir in 1 or 2 TBSPs of butter - stir into your sauce mixture
- Spread a small amount of sauce mixture on the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking
- Pour remain mixture over chicken
- Cover and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken reaches 165 degrees
- Before serving, cut lemon it ¼ inch slices; make a cut halfway through lemon circle. Twist in the opposite directions at the slit (180 degrees). Garnish each chicken slice.
- Serve with or over rice.
–Mary
Pinned! I don’t know if my husband (the family cook) will make this given that it used canned soups (unless there is a lower sodium version) but it sure sounded good! But not continuously for a year.
Agreed — I usually make these the original way first and then make adaptions — I have an excellent scratch reaplacement for regular mushroom soup — but had never had the Golden Mushroom so let me know if you come up with a good alternative.