Poppy Seed Chicken....Home for Christmas

"This is meeting time again. Home is the magnet. The winter land roars and hums with the eager speed of return journeys. The dark is noisy and bright with late-night arrivals..the doors thrown open, running shadows on snow, open arms, kisses, voices and laughter, laughter at everything and nothing. Inarticulate, giddying and confused are those original minutes of being back again. The very familiarity of everything acts like shock. Contentment has to be drawn in slowly, steadyingly, in deep breaths. There is so much of it. We rely on home not to change, and it does not, wherefore we give thanks. Again Christmas: abiding point of return. Set apart by its mystery, mood and magic, the season seems in a way to stand outside time. All that is dear, that is lasting, renews its hold on us: we are home again..." ~ Elizabeth Bowen, excerpt from Home for Christmas

 COUNTRY CLUB POPPY SEED CHICKEN

8 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless. baked and cut into strips

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 c. sour cream

8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, grated

1/4 c. water

3 T poppy seeds

2 rolls Ritz crackers, crushed

1 1/2 sticks butter, melted

Arrange strips of chicken in the bottom of a casserole dish. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir together soup and water in a saucepan over medium heat and add sour cream. Stir in cheese and 1 1/2 tablespoons of poppy seeds. Pour over chicken strips. Mix together remaining poppy seeds, melted butter and cracker crumbs. Sprinkle over chicken and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve over fluffy, white rice! ~The Jackson Junior League