Poppy Seed Chicken

Jennifer Peele

My favorite dish is poppy seed chicken. It's a chicken casserole covered in Ritz crackers and poppy seeds. I've had it for every Sunday dinner since I was in elementary school. It hasn't been passed down from generation to generation in my family--it's just simply a family favorite an old friend came across.

When I was in the 3rd grade, I met my best friend Ashley. She moved from the coast and started going to my church. Every Sunday, we would take turns going to each other's houses for an after-church feast. I didn't really like going to her house because her mom, Mrs. Betty, wasn't much of a cook. She tended to end a dinner with a smoky kitchen and wasted food in the trash can.

For Mrs. Betty's birthday, I bought her a "cooking for dummies" book that had hundreds of easy recipes for her to try. In it was a recipe for poppy seed chicken. The first time she made it, it was a hit. It was the most delicious thing I had ever put in my mouth. It was rich and creamy, with a little crunch from the Ritz crackers.

It became an every-Sunday dish after that because Mrs. Betty had finally found something that she could easily make and that everyone loved. Let's just say I didn't go home for dinner on Sunday afternoons that much anymore. It seemed every time she made the casserole it got ten times better.

Years later, my longtime friend moved to Florida. Before she left, she and her family came to say their goodbyes. When they were walking out the door to begin their move, Mrs. Betty slipped me a note card. It had the recipe of her famous casserole so I would never be without it. From then on, my mom carried it on and still continues to make it every Sunday. And now, whenever I come home to visit, she sends back with me an already-cooked recipe of poppy seed chicken for me to feast off of for the week at school. Mmm.