Country Crock & A Rockstar Casserole.

One of my Mom’s best friends is a wonderful woman named Ardell, and I count her as a second mother. I don’t bandy this term around lightly; two of my requirements for bestowing Second Motherdom upon someone is whether or not they've even driven me to the E.R., and whether or not they've created one of my all-time favorite dishes.

You know how some people are just ridiculously marvelous cooks? Ardell beats ‘em all. And one of those aforementioned all-time fave meals is something we've oh-so creatively dubbed “Ardell’s Chicken.” This dish is amazing. It’s the kind of casserole where a magical cook can take a handful of seemingly ordinary ingredients and create something that makes everyone’s heart (and belly) happy. 

Country Crock, that fabulous spread featuring a whopping 70% less fat than butter per serving (also zero partially hydrogenated oils, trans fat, or cholesterol, if you dig that sorta thing), is gathering up the best quick fix casseroles for this rather hectic time of year. And I'm thrilled to include the world-famous Ardell's Chicken to the list. (Check out Country Crock's Pinterest board for yummy inspiration!)

This casserole is perfect for cozy Fall nights- or when you'd like a Fall night to be cozy, despite having to drive around like a madwoman taking care of everyone's everything. And with ingredients you've probably already got on hand, it's a cinch to prepare.

While I will never be a renowned dinner photographer, it's important to note that this picture is hazy
because of all the fragrant steam coming from the casserole dish. And now I'm hungry again.

While no one in the whole world can make Ardell's Chicken quite like Ardell (really, we've all tried), I've added my best approximation below. And seriously, the beauty of this recipe is that so many ingredients can be added or swapped based on what you have. (I do it all the time and forget to write down the changes, much to the irritation of my sisters.) This casserole is so comforting and so delicious that it's absolutely impossible to go wrong.

I've served this dish to friends and family and at least one husband (okay, he was mine). It gets rave reviews every single time. Feel free to check out Country Crock's Facebook page for even more awesome dinnerific casserole ideas- some might even be as wonderful as Ardell's Chicken.

Who has the fanciest dinners of them all? It's a trick question.

But that's some pretty stiff competition.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.