Spring Comfort: Just 3 ingredients. The recipe my mother-in-law refused to share until last year.

This little casserole is the one my mother-in-law kept close to the vest for years, the dish that always showed up on her table when the snow finally melted and the robins came back. She called it her “spring comfort,” because it’s light on fuss but heavy on coziness—just three ingredients, all baked together until the kitchen smells like Sunday after church. It’s the kind of practical, no-nonsense Midwestern cooking that lets the oven do the work while you sit and visit.

When she finally wrote it out for me last year, I realized how simple it was, and also how much love she’d been tucking into that bubbling, golden pan all along.

This casserole is a full meal for a busy night, but it shines brightest with simple sides: a crisp green salad with a tangy vinaigrette, buttered peas or steamed green beans, or a bowl of sliced tomatoes with a sprinkle of salt and pepper in the summertime. Warm dinner rolls or thick slices of buttered bread are perfect for scooping up the creamy sauce that gathers in the corners of the dish.

A dish of applesauce or a light fruit salad on the side keeps the whole meal feeling like the first warm day of spring, even if there’s still a nip in the air.

3-Ingredient Secret Family Chicken Casserole

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts), cut into large bite-size pieces

1 (10.5-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups sour cream

Directions