Found this tucked inside my grandmother's 1962 church cookbook. Dad said she made it every Father's Day without fail.

This oven baked 4-ingredient chicken wellington casserole is one of those old church cookbook treasures that feels like a hug from the past. The recipe card in my grandmother’s 1962 church book is splattered and worn, and my dad always said she made it every Father’s Day without fail. It has all the cozy flavors of a classic chicken wellington—creamy chicken tucked under buttery puff pastry—but simplified into a family-friendly casserole you can slide into the oven on a busy weeknight. With just four main ingredients and a glass baking dish, it’s perfect for home cooks who want something nostalgic, comforting, and easy enough to become its own little family tradition.

This casserole is lovely with simple sides that soak up the creamy sauce. I like to serve it with buttered peas or green beans, a crisp green salad with a tangy vinaigrette, and maybe some sliced tomatoes in the summer. Mashed potatoes, rice, or buttered egg noodles all work well underneath or alongside to catch the extra sauce. For a Father’s Day-style spread like my grandmother used to do, add a fruit salad, a basket of warm dinner rolls, and finish with something simple and old-fashioned like lemon bars or a sheet cake.

Servings: 6

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch glass baking dish so the creamy filling doesn’t stick.

Cut the boneless, skinless chicken breasts into small, bite-size pieces, about 3/4-inch cubes. This helps them cook through evenly and makes serving easier, especially for kids.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream of chicken soup and the milk until smooth and creamy. If you like, season the mixture with the salt and black pepper. This simple sauce is what gives the casserole that cozy, old-fashioned flavor.

Spread the raw chicken pieces evenly in the bottom of the prepared glass baking dish. Pour the soup and milk mixture over the chicken and gently stir or nudge with a spoon so all the pieces are coated and in an even layer.

Unfold the thawed puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface or piece of parchment. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, slice the pastry into 1/2- to 3/4-inch-wide strips. They don’t have to be perfect—this is very much a homey church-cookbook kind of dish.

Lay the puff pastry strips over the top of the creamy chicken in the baking dish, spacing them slightly apart. You can place them all in one direction, or do a loose crisscross pattern if you want it to look a bit more like a classic wellington top. The little gaps let steam escape and help keep the pastry flaky.

If you’d like a touch of color and a nod to those old cookbook photos, sprinkle the dried parsley or mixed dried herbs lightly over the puff pastry strips.

Place the baking dish on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 35–45 minutes, or until the puff pastry is puffed and golden brown on top and the chicken is cooked through. The sauce should be bubbling around the edges. If your pastry is browning too quickly, you can loosely tent the top with foil for the last 10 minutes.

To be safe, check that the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) in the center of the casserole. If it hasn’t, return the dish to the oven and bake a few minutes longer, checking again.

Let the casserole rest for about 5–10 minutes before serving. This helps the sauce thicken slightly and makes it easier to scoop neat portions. Use a large spoon to dig down through the golden pastry and creamy chicken layers, just like in those old family photos, and serve warm.

To keep the spirit of that 1962 church cookbook, the base recipe stays very simple, but there are plenty of ways to make it your own while still feeling nostalgic. For picky eaters, you can cut the chicken pieces extra small so they blend into the sauce more, and skip the dried herbs on top if anyone objects to “green bits.” If your family prefers darker meat, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts; just trim extra fat and keep the pieces small so they cook through at the same time. For a slightly richer, more old-fashioned flavor, swap half of the milk for heavy cream or evaporated milk. If you want to sneak in vegetables, stir in 1–2 cups of frozen peas and carrots or mixed veggies into the soup mixture before pouring it over the chicken—this was a common church cookbook trick to stretch a casserole. You can also use cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup in place of one can of cream of chicken for a deeper, more savory taste. If puff pastry is hard to find, you can top the casserole with refrigerated crescent roll dough, cut into strips and laid across the top in the same way, though it will be a bit more bready than flaky. For a slightly fancier Father’s Day version, brush the pastry strips lightly with a beaten egg before baking to give them extra shine and color. Leftovers reheat well in a 325°F (165°C) oven, covered with foil, until warmed through; the pastry will soften but still tastes delicious. Food safety tips: Because this recipe uses raw chicken in a creamy sauce, be careful with cross-contamination. Use a separate cutting board and knife for the raw chicken, and wash your hands, utensils, and surfaces thoroughly with hot, soapy water before handling the puff pastry or anything else. Make sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the casserole. If you’re using a glass baking dish, avoid placing it directly from the fridge into a hot oven to reduce the risk of the dish cracking; let it sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes first if you’ve assembled it ahead. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of baking and eat them within 3–4 days, reheating until steaming hot all the way through.