Last time you had it you loved it! That is the technique Tracy (the Middle Child) used on me for weeks, maybe months, to get me to eat things I didn’t want to when I was little. And it worked. It worked in part because there are a lot of things you can convince yourself that you like. It took a while before I started asking questions. Questions like, “When did I eat this last?” Tracy would sometimes fabricate an occasion, and at first I would dejectedly respond, “Okay then.” and choke down whatever it was that was for dinner that I didn’t want to eat, rather than admit I really didn’t remember that at all. Usually it was my mother’s Ghoulash, which had some form of Campbell’s soup and olives in addition to some sort of ground beef, pasta, and cheese concoction that I always thought was gross. You may think I made a mistake in the way I spelled Ghoulash. Nope. I know how it is spelled. It is just further evidence of how I feel about that recipe. Debbie (the Oldest) likes it. I just don’t get it! Finally, I started asking more detailed questions, and fessed up that I did not remember these culinary events. And then eventually, I expressed that just because I used to like something, doesn’t mean I like it now. That is when Dad said, “The jig is up. She is on to us.” And the family confessed that they had been “influencing” me to overcome my prejudice against certain foods.
The thing is, sometimes it worked! I learned to like foods I would not have tried based on appearance. But sometimes it didn’t work. Need I spell Ghoulash again? I really wanted to like this recipe for Creamy Italian Chicken. I had seen it all over Pinterest by several blogs. It looked so creamy and comforting and good. But, alas, I was not the only one unconvinced that this recipe was a winner. It wasn’t bad. We ate it. It definitely was not Ghoulash. Much better than that! But it tasted….processed…salty? I know a meal is a family winner when the kids are willing to eat leftovers. This hung out in the fridge way past it’s expiration date. And those were some days when there was not much else to pick from. Pretty telling when teenagers are willing to cook for themselves rather than the ease of warming food in the microwave. Bummer! Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it. Debbie does like Ghoulash after all.
Creamy Italian Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup
- 8 ounces cream cheese cubed
- 1 packet italian dresssing
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients together in the crock pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Cube or shred chicken and serve over rice or pasta.
Bridgette says
I thought I was the only person in the world who was not a fan of this recipe!! Good to know I’m not alone and now I may have a blog that has similar taste buds to mine!! Will definitely be trying more of your recipes that you like solely based off of you not being a fan of this one!
Sherri says
So glad we won you over. Honesty is the best policy, right? My new favorite recipe on the blog right now is restaurant steak. Man it is good. If you like it, we will be even better friends. 🙂
Andrea says
The recipe I use for this is a little different ! I’d be interested to know what you think, if you try it.
Creamy Italian Chicken
5-6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 cup of Italian salad dressing – from the bottle
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1 8-ounce block of cream cheese, cubed
Spaghetti noodles, cooked
** One of my friends added a can of Rotel tomatoes and said it was delicious!
Place chicken, dressing and soups in crockpot. Cook on low for 6 ½ hours.
Remove chicken from crockpot and chop.
Return chicken to crockpot. Add cream cheese.
Cook for another ½ hour, stirring to make sure the cream cheese melts. Serve over noodles!
Sherri says
Sounds interesting. I like all the variations. Might need to give it another try!
tiffany says
i make this all the time and my family loves it. I don’t think it’s salty. I use Italian herb cooking cream. if I can find it.
Sherri says
I lot of people love this recipe. I am glad your family loves it. I am not sure I know what Italian herb cooking cream is. Sounds interesting!
Chrissy says
I actually have this recipe in my recipe cupboard from pre-pinterest days. (Sometimes it’s hard to believe that yes we did find tasty recipes prior to pinterest) I found that the Italian seasoning packet was the problem, too salty for me too. Try with only half a packet, still flavorful and not too salty for my liking. Also, just as good with the reduced fat cream cheeses and the lower sodium or healthier style creamed soups.
Sherri says
Great tips, Chrissy. I am glad to hear another opinion.
Chelsey says
I’ve tasted good and bad recipes for this. Just when I was about to give up on ever making this again. My favorite food blogger posted it and I decided to give it one more try. So glad I did because now it’s a family favorite. You might like this version https://jamiecooksitup.net/2012/05/italian-cream-cheese-chicken-crock-pot/
Sherri says
I don’t think my family is willing to try this again, but I am happy for all the families out there who enjoy it.