A dear friend made this for our church luncheon and everyone asked for the recipe immediately.

If you prefer dark meat, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs in place of the breasts; they stay very tender and are a bit more forgiving if slightly overbaked. For a touch more sweetness, use canned shoepeg corn for the whole kernel corn. If you like a little color on top, you can broil the casserole for 2 to 3 minutes at the end of baking—just watch closely so it doesn’t scorch.

For a creamier, slightly richer base, stir 1/4 to 1/3 cup of sour cream into the corn mixture (this adds an extra ingredient but keeps the spirit of the dish). If you’re cooking for a crowd at a potluck, double the recipe and bake it in two 9×13-inch dishes rather than one deep pan so the chicken cooks evenly. Leftovers reheat well; cover the dish with foil and warm in a 325°F oven until hot, or reheat individual portions in the microwave, adding a spoonful of milk if the corn seems too thick.