Chick 'N' Chokes

With Christian gone there hasn't been much cooking around these parts, but I did make this yummy casserole for my friend and I since C hates artichokes and I absolutely love them.

2 cans artichoke hearts (unmarinated)
2 garlic cloves crushed
2 2/3 cups cooked chicken, cubed
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup soft bread, cubed
3 T. butter
olive oil

Cut artichoke hearts into quarters, arrange in buttered casserole dish. Heat a small amount of olive oil with garlic in a saucepan and drizzle over artichokes. Sprinkle chicken over artichokes. Combine mayo, soup, lemon juice, and curry powder. Spread over chicken and artichokes. Sprinkle with cheese. Toss bread cubes in melted butter and sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

(from the Santa Monica 2nd Ward Cookbook, submitted by Kris Gutierrez)

**NOTES**

This casserole was super yummy! Since there were just two of us, I halved the recipe and I was out of cream of chicken soup so I used cream of mushroom. It tasted fabulous. After making this, I think next time I will make a few changes...

For starters I will cut the artichokes up a little smaller and sautee them with the garlic and olive oil. After consulting with my Mom and her notes on the recipe, we figured out that mixing the chicken, artichokes, and soup mixture would probably taste better. I also loved the toasty bread cubes on top, so I will double the amount of bread cubes next time, or maybe used some unseasoned croutons.

All in all this is a really yummy and tasty treat. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!