Let's go back in time with these Baked Chicken Croquettes made with Bechamel sauce and homemade chicken gravy, and other great old-time recipes for #SundaySupper Retro Food!
I love cooking at old cookbooks, some of the recipes are so different than anything made today! So, of course, I love this weeks Retro Food theme, hosted by Heather from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks. I also love this recipe! I grew up eating chicken croquettes, but they weren't homemade, they were the frozen, store-bought kind. After I got married I looked for them in a few local grocery stores, and nobody carried them anymore. I started making my own, and must have made them at least twenty times, but as I got busier with the blog and my family, I forgot about them. Well, that and my mother-in-law's grocery store started carrying them sometimes and my husband would pick them up for me. Not the same as my homemade croquettes, but lack of time...yada, yada...
Fast forward to this Retro Food theme, and my search for a great recipe to make. My husband was even trying to help me. Duh, baked chicken croquettes! Popular in the 1970's and 80's. Only, I couldn't find my recipe anywhere! Did I make a recipe from a cookbook? Looked through all the ones I've owned since we got married. Did I find it online? I searched, but couldn't find anything that sounded like what I used to make. Did I make up my own recipes? Very possible, but then why is it not written down in any of my notebooks? I have NO IDEA!! I still wanted to make them though, so I turned to a classic recipe, and made some necessary changes for my husband's diet.
I went with a recipe from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook by Marion Cunningham. It isn't very much like the recipe I used to make. First of all, it calls for a thick Bechamel sauce in the chicken mixture. I think I just used milk, but I wanted to try it. Secondly, it has lemon juice and a little bit of cayenne pepper in the mix. I know I never used either, but decided to try it. My suggestion would be to use a very small pinch of cayenne, I think I used to much. I had to bake the chicken croquettes, I just couldn't justify frying them with my husband's low-fat diet. I still wanted them crispy, so I lightly brushed them with canola oil.
I made a homemade chicken gravy to go with the Baked Chicken Croquettes. If you are making chicken specifically for this recipe, I suggest simmering 2-3 chicken breasts in low-sodium chicken broth for 1 hour, then save the broth to make the gravy. It will be delicious! You could make and shred the chicken the day before to save time.
Baked Chicken Croquettes
Please check out all the groovy retro foods shared today after the Baked Chicken Croquettes recipe. Did I really just say "groovy"? Kill me please, I am not that old!!
Baked Chicken Croquettes
Ingredients
- For the Chicken Croquettes
- 2 cups finely shredded chicken breast (preferably simmered in low-sodium chicken broth for 1 hour to cook)
For The Thick Cream Sauce
- 1 cup HOT 2% milk
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons light butter
- fresh ground pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup minced celery with leaves (about 1 tablespoon minced leaves)
- ¼ cup minced yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- small pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 eggs ,lightly beaten
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- canola oil ,for brushing (less than ¼ cup)
- cooking spray
- For the Chicken Gravy
- 1 cup reserved chicken broth (or low-sodium chicken broth)
- 1 ¼ HOT cup 2% milk
- 2 tablespoons finely shredded chicken
- 2 tablespoons light butter
- 2 tablespoons flour (or 1 tablespoon cornstarch)
- 1 teaspoon minced parsley
- black pepper ,to taste
Instructions
- Make the Thick Cream Sauce: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly until it forms a thick paste, 1-2 minutes. Add the HOT milk (heat it in the microwave in a microwave safe liquid measuring cup) and pepper, continue to stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 2-3 minutes more, stirring, until thickened. Remove from heat and pour a thin layer of milk over it to prevent a skin from forming. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, celery, onion, lemon juice, parsley, cayenne pepper, and cream sauce. Stir until well blended. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled (at least 45 minutes).
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Form the chicken mixture into 8 balls or cones about 2 inches round. Dip each ball in the beaten eggs, then roll in the panko breadcrumbs. Place on a large baking sheet sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Brush lightly (or spray) with the canola oil. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, turning carefully after 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the gravy: Melt the butter in a small saucepan, stir in the flour, cook for one minute, pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add in the milk, chicken, parsley,and black pepper, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring often until thicken.
Notes
Nutrition
Bodacious Breakfasts and Appetizers:
- Classic Chex Party Mix from Peanut Butter and Peppers
- Healthy Green Goddess Dip from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
- Homemade Doughnuts from Cosmopolitan Cornbread
Made in the Shade Main Dishes:
- Bacon Wrapped Individual Meatloaf from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
- Chicken ala King from Recipes Food and Cooking
- Chicken Rice Casserole from Curious Cuisiniere
- Chicken in a Basket from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
- Chicken Parisienne from Carrie's Experimental Kitchen
- Chicken Pot Pie from Whole Food | Real Families
- Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast from FoodieTots
- Creamy Baked Pork Chops from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Individual Beef Wellingtons from Small Wallet, Big Appetite
- Mom's Chicken Pot Pie with Cheddar Biscuits from Simply Healthy Family
- Mom's Shepherd's Pie from Momma's Meals
- Ravioli di Magro from Manu's Menu
- Salisbury Steak with Onion Gravy from Webicurean
- Sweet and Sour Pork Meatballs from Palatable Pastime
- Tuna Noodle Casserole from Sew You Think You Can Cook
- Uptown Goulash from Family Foodie
Swell Side Dishes:
- Creamy Lime Gelatin Salad from Magnolia Days
- Harvard Beets from Take A Bite Out Of Boca
- Retro Crock Pot Crabby Soup from Seduction in the Kitchen
- Roasted Broccoli Cheese Casserole from NeighborFood
- Seven Layer Salad from Lifestyle Food Artistry
- Wedge Salad from Our Good Life
Dreamy Desserts:
- Bananas Foster from The Redhead Baker
- Creamsicle Jello Mold from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Frosty Chocolate Dream Bites from Wallflour Girl
- Hummingbird Cream Cheese Cookies from Dandelion Greens
- Jello Poke Cake from The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch
- Mom's Heath Bar Cake from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
- Old Fashioned Banana Pudding from Pies and Plots
- One, Two, Three Jello from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Original Mayonnaise Chocolate Cake with No Cook Fudge Frosting from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake from Eat, Drink and be Tracy
- Raspberry Crunch from Peaceful Cooking
- Tunnel of Fudge Cake from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
The Bee's Knees Beverages:
- Blood Orange Sidecar from Nosh My Way
- Crème de Menthe Parfait from Food Lust People Love
- Vanilla Bean Old Fashioned from The Texan New Yorker
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Janice says
This is such a good recipe! Easy to make and be able to make a larger batch is great! They taste like the ones my mother used to make many years ago and I love it!!
Mary Jane says
I haven’t made this exact recipe yet, but I use a recipe from a Betty Crocker cookbook that I received in 1970 as a shower gift which is very similar. I don’t put celery in it and add a bit of celery seed into the recipe. This has always been my favorite cookbook!
Willy Aurand says
Thanks for your recipe, I will make them and will use stove top cornbread stuffing as my bread crumbs. I'll pulse them a little finer for my coating. I have never made croquettes before. I was going to just add my chunked chicken to the stuffing mix then thought I might try croquettes. One day I will try tuna croquettes too. I like the cornbread and the herb stove top stuffing mix as I do not like salt and so they seem not to be as salty as other brands and I like the flavors of the 2.
Bernadette says
That sounds great! I used Stove Top Stuffing as breadcrumbs on my Honey Herb Pork Chops that I shared a few years ago.
Craig Fisher says
I just found your recipes and want to thank you for all the great recipes that have very low salt. My cardiologist and I appreciate it!
These croquettes were great! I remember these from vacation in the 1970's, and it is nice to have this baked version.
Bernadette says
Thank you, Craig. I still use some salt, but I've found it's not necessary to add much of it during cooking. Gordon Ramsay would probably disagree with me 🙂
Lynda says
I,just made your chicken croquette recipe and it is cooling in the refrigerator. I noticed there is no mention of any salt. Is that because of your husband''s dietary restrictions? All the other recipes I looked at either used cream of chicken soup which has salt or added salt. Should I salt to my own taste or leave it out?
Bernadette says
Hi Lynda, I tend to leave salt out of my recipes unless it's something it is really needed in. You can salt to your own taste of course! For the cream sauce or the gravy, I would use no more than 1/4 teaspoon.
Liz says
These croquettes look scrumptious!!! Crispy and perfect!
Bernadette says
Thanks so much Liz! I'll be over to check out your recipe soon!
Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm says
Can you believe I have never had a chicken croquette? Thanks for the recipe.
Bernadette says
You would be amazed at all the foods I've never had! You are very welcome!
Stacy says
Those look really crispy and crunchy, Bernadette, just like a chicken croquette should be. I love that you baked them instead of frying!
Bernadette says
They were, my husband said they could have been crispier, so I told him to lay off the gravy 🙂