My mother-in-law made this for every potluck from 1975 to 2010

This is the kind of dish that showed up on every church basement buffet table from the mid-70s clear into the 2000s, usually in a well-worn glass baking dish with somebody’s name scratched on the bottom. My mother-in-law called it her “potluck chicken,” and I don’t think she ever came home with leftovers.

It’s only three ingredients, nothing fancy at all, but the way the sauce bakes down around the chicken makes a glossy, savory glaze with sticky, caramelized edges that people remember. It’s the recipe folks still ask me for at funerals, baby showers, and every small-town supper in between.

Glass baking dish of old-fashioned church supper chicken on a country kitchen table
Glass baking dish of old-fashioned church supper chicken on a country kitchen table
This chicken is right at home next to a bowl of fluffy mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles, where all that extra sauce can soak in. At a potluck, I like to set it out with a pan of baked rice, a big green salad, and some buttered corn or green beans.

Dinner rolls or slices of soft white bread are nice for mopping up the juices. It’s also good the next day, shredded over rice or tucked into a soft roll with a spoonful of the leftover sauce.

Oven-Baked 3-Ingredient Church Supper Chicken

Servings: 6

Ingredients