So Continental...

That's not really a phrase that is used much these days. But if you watch movies from the 1930's or 1940's, it's actually used quite often. Saying "so continental" is referring to the continent of which Europe is a part. So, it's saying something like "that's so European" or calling something very up-scale or classy. Anyway, there's your fun fact for the day!

The following recipes have nothing in common with Europe. I'm pretty sure the recipes are American in origin. But they all contain the word "continental." In fact, they are all variations of basically the same recipe. The first is richer and a little more time-consuming to make while the second is easier and lighter. The third, and final, recipe is much more different than the first two...but it does have a few things in common.

The recipe with many variations of which I am speaking of is "Continental Chicken." Growing up, I always knew it as "Three Hour Chicken" because that's what my Mom always called it (even though I discovered just last year that it was always called "Continental Chicken" and "Three Hour Chicken" was just a name that she called it because we remembered it better that way when we were little).

I used to love this recipe and would request Three Hour Chicken for all of my birthday dinners. I still really enjoy it, but now that I'm older and have to watch my calories more, I don't make it as often. The last time my Mom made it, she halved the chicken breasts and I really think that was the perfect thing to do. It is such a rich dish that most likely you'll only want (or need) to eat half a chicken breast anyway.

The second version of this recipe is a slow cooker version I found on Allrecipes.com. It's a great, quick, satisfying, and lighter version. It is very similar, but it omits the bacon called for in the other recipe. However, if you can't do without the bacon, I would suggest making and crumbling some bacon separately and sprinkling it over the finished dish (if you put the bacon in the slow cooker it might just become mushy, but then again, I've never tested it, so I don't really know exactly what the result would be).

At any rate, you've got to love a main dish that incorporates three different types of meat! Chicken, beef, and pork all in one dish? It's crazy, but it works.

Serve the chicken along with a baked potato (or twice baked potato, if you have the time--I will post our recipe for twice baked potatoes at a later time) and a salad and you'll have a very nice meal indeed.

Also, maybe another reason my Mom called the first recipe "Three Hour Chicken" is because she had another recipe called "Continental Chicken" that was a little different. It helped us kids differentiate between the two so that we really knew what was for dinner. It didn't call for the bacon or dried beef and it added rice. It's an old favorite as well (my Mom loves her rice!), so I'll post that recipe at the bottom (though I don't have a picture of it).

I hope you like them.

Continental Chicken (aka Three Hour Chicken)

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

1 small jar of dried beef

8 slices of bacon

1 can cream of mushroom soup (cream of chicken soup can be used, if you prefer)

1 cup sour cream

Directions:

Wrap bacon around chicken and secure. Line a 9x13 baking pan with dried beef. Put chicken on top of beef. Mix sour cream and soup and pour over chicken. Bake at 375 degrees for 3 hours

Source: This came from an old cookbook that my Mom had. It was either a Pillsbury, Campbell's or Betty Crocker recipe, but I really can't remember which one exactly.

Notes: You can find jars of dried beef near the canned tuna fish. I prefer cream of mushroom soup in this recipe, but if that's not what you have in your cupboard, you can easily substitute cream of chicken soup.

This recipe isn't going to win any beauty contests any time soon, but it is soooo tasty!

Slow Cooker Chicken Continental

Ingredients:

2 (8 oz) jars of dried beef

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 cup sour cream

1 (10.75 oz) can cream of mushroom soup

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions:

Lightly grease slow cooker and line with dried beef. Place 3 chicken breasts in the slow cooker. In a mixing bowl, stir together sour cream, soup, and flour; pour half of the mixture over the chicken. Layer with the dried beef and last 3 chicken breasts. Top with remaining sour cream mixture and finally the last of the dried beef.

Cook in a slow cooker on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by JTWCO. You can find it here.

Notes: I don't think you need two jars of dried beef. I personally think that 1 jar is enough (it's pretty salty stuff). But that is up to you!

Continental Chicken with Rice

Ingredients:

2 whole chicken breasts, split

1 can (4 oz) sliced mushrooms

2 tbsp butter or margarine

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 1/2 cups water

1 tbsp parsley

1 1/2 cups quick cooking rice

Directions:

In skillet, brown chicken and mushrooms in butter. Stir in soup, water, parsley, and pepper, to taste. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in rice. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir often.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: I don't know. My guess is that my Mom found this one in a recipe similar to the one where she found the other Chicken Continental recipe.

Notes: "Quick cooking rice" doesn't mean that you have to use minute rice. It just means that you won't be able to substitute something like brown rice (which takes 40-50 minutes to cook).

This is a very simple, pantry friendly, comfort food type of recipe. Nothing elaborate...but a good recipe to have on hand. It's great because you have the main dish and a side dish cooked all in one. So, just add some veggies and you're set!