My neighbor Dorothy brought this to every potluck in our cul-de-sac from 1965 until she moved away. Finally got the recipe.

This oven baked 3-ingredient chicken Newburg is straight from my old neighbor Dorothy, who carried this to every cul-de-sac potluck from the mid-60s on. It’s the kind of Midwestern comfort food that shows up in a plain white casserole dish, smells amazing, and disappears before you can blink. Tender chicken pieces bake in a rich, coral-colored, paprika-kissed cream sauce that feels fancy, but it’s made with just three pantry-friendly ingredients and almost no effort—perfect for busy weeknights or a church supper table.

Serve this chicken Newburg spooned over buttered egg noodles, steamed white rice, or toasted garlic bread so all that velvety sauce has something to soak into. A simple green vegetable—like peas, steamed green beans, or a tossed salad with a tangy vinaigrette—helps balance the richness. At potlucks, I like to set it out in the baking dish with a big serving spoon, a sprinkle of extra paprika on top, and a basket of warm dinner rolls nearby for dunking.

Servings: 6

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

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a medium oval or 9x13-inch baking dish so the chicken doesn’t stick.

In a large bowl, whisk together the condensed cream of mushroom soup and 1/4 cup sweet paprika until the mixture is smooth and an even coral color. It should look like a thick, rosy cream sauce.

Add the bite-size chicken pieces to the bowl and stir until every piece is well coated in the coral-colored sauce. Take a minute to really toss it so there are no dry spots.

Pour the chicken and sauce mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it out into an even layer. Use a spatula to scrape every bit of sauce from the bowl into the dish.

Sprinkle a light dusting of extra sweet paprika evenly over the top for color. This gives that pretty, old-fashioned look Dorothy’s dish always had at the potlucks.

Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and place it in the preheated oven. Bake for 25 minutes to let the chicken start to cook gently in the sauce.

After 25 minutes, carefully remove the foil (watch for steam) and return the dish to the oven. Bake uncovered for another 20–25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (no pink in the center) and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.

Stir the chicken gently in the dish to re-coat everything in the rich sauce. The sauce should be thick, glossy, and a warm coral color. If it seems too thick, you can stir in a splash of milk or water to loosen it slightly.

Taste a small piece of chicken (let it cool a moment first) and adjust the paprika if you’d like a deeper color or flavor, sprinkling a little more over the top if needed.

Let the casserole rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. This helps the sauce thicken just a bit more and makes it easier to spoon generous, saucy portions from the oval dish.

Dorothy always said this was her 'base recipe,' and she’d tweak it depending on who was coming to the potluck. For kids or picky eaters, you can dial back the paprika to 3 tablespoons so the flavor is a little milder and the color a bit lighter; it will still be creamy and cozy. If you like a touch of smokiness, swap 1 tablespoon of the sweet paprika for smoked paprika, but keep most of it sweet so it doesn’t overpower the dish. You can also use cream of chicken or cream of celery soup in place of cream of mushroom if that’s what you have on hand or if someone in the family doesn’t like mushrooms. For a slightly looser sauce to pour over rice or noodles, stir in 1/4–1/3 cup milk or chicken broth before baking. If you prefer darker meat, boneless, skinless chicken thighs stay extra tender and are very forgiving. For potlucks, bake in a white oval casserole dish and bring along a big spoon so people can see those saucy coral-colored bites as they serve themselves. Food safety tips: Always start with fully thawed chicken; baking from frozen can lead to uneven cooking. Make sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) in the thickest pieces before serving. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a shallow container, and reheat gently in the oven or microwave until hot all the way through, adding a spoonful of water or milk if the sauce has thickened too much.