Southern Recipe Update: Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

Poppy seed chicken is an old Southern standby, just pure comfort in casserole form. I can’t think of a more satisfying childhood memory than enjoying a big helping it on a chilly winter night. I must admit that it’s been years since I last tasted my mom’s version but something about this latest cold front spurred me to bring it out for a spin.

Recipes for poppy seed chicken have been passed among home cooks via recipe cards, community cookbooks, and now, the internet for plenty of years. But what interested me when doing my homework was how few variations I could actually find. I’ve unearthed countless versions of other classic American casseroles in the past, so I admit I was kind of taken by surprise. My first inclination was to recognize the lack of deviations as a positive sign, as the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” That doesn’t mean, however, that the retro recipe couldn’t use a couple of upgrades.

If you’ve been following my posts for a while then you know I love to tinker with childhood favorites, but thankfully poppy seed chicken didn’t need too much tweaking. To give it a modern makeover, first I ditched the usual “cream of chicken” condensed soup in favor of a different kind of canned good: evaporated milk, which holds up well during long cooking times. This became the base, along with stock and a roux, for my own quick and rather delicious version of “cream of chicken” soup.

The second “upgrade” was the addition of creme fraiche, which I promise I didn’t add just to be fancy. Because of its higher fat content, creme fraiche can be cooked at higher temps without the fear of curdling. And while most recipes call for serving the casserole alongside rice or pasta, I went ahead and eliminated that step and tossed some egg noodles right in.

I’m going to be the first to admit that I loved (devoured!) this new-and-improved poppy seed chicken. There’s also the fact that my husband, a proud believer that the only purpose of a casserole (any casserole) is as a vehicle for hot sauce, did not once request his usual bottle of Frank’s. In fact he even asked if I would make the casserole, as is, again. And that is what I would call a true success!