Tag: Casseroles

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Groovy Eats Ep 1 | January 1978 :: Chicken Divan + Baby Come Back

Welcome to Groovy Eats – our new YouTube show + Podcast that goes back in time, pairing retro music + recipes from the 70s, 80s and 90s 🎶 ⭐

Episode 1 |  January 1978 :: Chicken Divan, “Baby Come Back,” + the Comfort of Simple Times

Some years stay with you forever.
For me, 1978 is one of them.

Kristen, Jen and Dad
Me, my Sister Jen and Dad

January 1978 wasn’t flashy or loud — it was warm, comforting, and full of everyday magic. The radio played soft rock on repeat, dinner was often a casserole bubbling in the oven, and family time happened around the table, not a screen.

Baby Come Back by Player
Baby Come Back by Player

That’s the spirit behind Groovy Eats Episode 1, my long awaited, brand new cooking show series. Each episode I’ll be pairing a #1 retro hit from the week with a beloved retro recipe from that same time period. Groovy Eats is all about letting food and music do what they do best – take us back in time,  bring back the good memories, and take us home.

The Song That Sets the Mood: “Baby Come Back”

The #1 song this week in January 1978 was “Baby Come Back” by Player —

Baby Come Back Player
Baby Come Back by Player

a smooth, emotional soft-rock anthem that helped define the late ’70s “yacht rock” era. It remained #1 on the charts for 6 weeks in January and February 1978, along with other Yacht Rock and soft rock bands like the Bee Gees, Paul Simon, Ambrosia, Fleetwood Mac, and Styx.

Billboard Top 100 - January 1978
Billboard Top 100 – January 1978

“Baby Come Back” is a song about lost love, longing, regret, and hope — wrapped in gentle harmonies and that unmistakable mellow groove. It didn’t demand attention. It earned it. And it remains one of my favorite 70s love songs today.

Baby Come Back #1 Single 1978 Player
Baby Come Back #1 Single 1978 Player

For me, this song instantly brings back memories of an epic and unforgettable  five-week family road trip in the Summer of 1978 from New York to California and back.

Kristen and Jenni 1978
Me and my sister Jen on roadtrip out West 1978

I was 8 years old and my family packed me and my sister up in the back of a truck, with a hitch and an RV – and we adventured off into the unknown to the wild wild West.

Long highways, crossword puzzles, campfires and marshmallows, hiking and exploring nature, panning for gold, salt flats in Salt Lake City, feeding Prairie Dogs in the Badlands, walkie talkies, Seattle, Mount Rushmore, geysers in Yellowstone Park, desert sunsets, and the radio always on.

Yacht Rock
Yacht Rock

This music was the soundtrack to childhood freedom — when life felt simple and wide open. Yacht Rock was king and something that always reminds me of that trip and the memories with my family as we traveled out West, without a care in the world.

The Dish That Brings It All Back: Chicken Divan

If the song sets the emotional tone, Chicken Divan sets the table.

Chicken Divan Hotel Parisien

Originally created in the early 1940s by Anthony Lagasi, chef at at the elegant Divan Parisien restaurant at Hotel Chatham in New York City, Lagasi had created a baked dish using chicken and broccoli in a rich bechamel sauce, creating the casserole we now know as Chicken Divan. It eventually made its way into American home kitchens — and by the 1970s, it was a full-blown casserole classic that everyone loved.

Chicken Divan

Creamy. Cozy. Comforting.
It was the kind of dish that felt “fancy” but familiar — perfect for family dinners and dinner parties alike.

Mom and Dad 1970s

This was a recipe my mom made for us, and when it was in the oven, you knew dinner was going to be good. It meant everyone was home. It meant we were sitting down together.

Chicken Divan

The casserole features chicken, broccoli, and a creamy curry sauce with a little lemon and wine added for flavor, topped with Cheddar cheese, buttery parmesan panko breadcrumbs and slivered almonds, all baked in the oven for a delicious and easy weeknight retro dinner the family will love.

This cozy and delicious casserole only takes about 30-45 minutes to make from start to finish,  and you can make it ahead of time and reheat it in the oven or microwave leftovers, or cover it well in plastic wrap/foil and freeze it for later.

The recipe below is the shortcut version that my Mom used to make in the 70s-80s but if you have time and the desire – you can choose to make a creamy Mornay sauce in place of the Cream of Chicken Soup and mayo if you’re feeling fancy.

Side Note: A Mornay sauce is a béchamel sauce with grated cheese added. The usual cheeses in French cuisine are Parmesan and Gruyère, but other cheeses may also be used. In French cuisine, it is often used in fish dishes. In American cuisine, a Mornay sauce made with cheddar is commonly used for macaroni and cheese.

Please enjoy this luscious curry chicken cheesy broccoli delight – and let’s go back in time to 1978 – when life was good. 

Chicken Divan (Late-’70s Casserole Style)

A true “Retro Metro” staple — exactly how it was loved in 1978.

Chicken Divan

Chicken Divan was a A “Retro Metro” staple that remained highly popular in 1978. It consisted of chicken and broccoli smothered in a cheese-infused Mornay sauce (or the shortcut version I made in the recipe below, using condensed soup), often topped with buttered breadcrumbs and/or toasted almonds.

How it was typically served:
Over rice or buttered noodles with a green salad and crusty bread and a crisp white wine — very late ’70s “continental dinner party” vibes.

Chicken Divan

Chicken Divan (Late-’70s Casserole Style)

In January 1978, popular recipes centered on elegant "Continental" dinner party fare, hearty winter stews, and the burgeoning "gourmet-to-go" movement. This month saw the peak of French-inspired classics and the debut of unique internationally-influenced dishes that defined the late 1970s. Chicken Divan was a "Retro Metro" staple that remained highly popular in 1978. It consisted of chicken and broccoli smothered in a cheese-infused Mornay sauce (or the shortcut version using condensed soup), often topped with toasted almonds.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, French
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded (rotisserie works well)
  • 4 cups broccoli florets (or 2 (10 oz) packages broccoli spears), cooked until just tender
  • 2 cans (10.5 oz each) condensed cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom)
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1-2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1-2 tsp curry powder
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine or a splash of sherry
  • 1.5 cups shredded cheddar
  • 4 tbsp grated Parmesan
  • 1/4 cup panko or italian breadcrumbs
  • 1 knob butter, melted for Parmesan Panko topping
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Method
 

  1. Heat oven to 350°F.
  2. Arrange broccoli in the bottom of a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Top with chicken.
  3. In a bowl, mix soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder, and wine/sherry until smooth.
  4. Spread sauce over the chicken and broccoli. Sprinkle with cheese.
  5. Top with sliced almonds (and/or buttered crumbs).
  6. Bake 25–35 minutes, until hot and bubbling. Let rest 5–10 minutes before serving.

Notes

How it was typically served in the 70s: over cooked rice or with buttered noodles (very “Continental dinner party” energy).
Garlic bread and a green salad are great sides. And a light crisp white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay pairs well, if you're feeling fancy.
You can make it ahead of time and freeze it for later. Simply let it thaw and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. 

Why Music and Food Are the Ultimate Time Machines

What I love most about this pairing is how effortlessly it transports you.

Baby Come Back Player

One song. One dish.
Suddenly you’re back in another decade — remembering the people, the places, the feeling of being safe and cared for.

Player

Food holds memory. Music unlocks it.

Dad, Jen and Mom

Dad, my Sister and Mom in 1978.

My childhood home in 1978 on Cherry Hill Lane, in West Webster NY .

That’s the heart of Groovy Eats — cooking through the decades, one groove at a time, and honoring the moments that shaped us along the way.

Groovy Eats

Watch & Listen 🎶🍽️

🎥 Watch the full episode ⁠on YouTube ⁠to groove out to the song and cook along with me

🎙️ Listen to the podcast episode on Spotify

✍️ Subscribe on Substack for weekly essays, behind-the-scenes stories, and Groovy Eats extras ⁠@artfulgourmet

🎶 Follow Groovy Eats, Kristen Hess and The Artful Gourmet on social media @artfulgourmet and on TikTok ⁠@foodiegirl87

🍽️ View Kristen’s Food Styling + Photography Portfolio + book your next food shoot at ⁠https://www.kristen-hess.com

🎤 Watch the original music video of Player performing⁠ ‘Baby Come Back’ on YouTube⁠

🎶 Listen to the song ‘Baby Come Back’ on Spotify

If this episode sparked a memory for you, I’d love to hear it. Leave a comment and tell me: What song or dish instantly takes you back to childhood?

The Artful Gourmet Podcast

🎥 And please don’t forget to share, like and subscribe so you never miss a post, cooking video or podcast episode of Groovy Eats and The Artful Gourmet. 🎤

Until then, peace out, and keep grooving, one bite at a time. 😀🌟🙌

More recipes you might enjoy

Beef and Mushroom Dumplings

Red Wine Bolognese Pappardelle

Low Carb Cheesy Enchilada Bake

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There’s No Place Like Home + An Amazing Macaroni & Cheese Recipe 🏡 🧀 🍝

Amazing Macaroni and cheese recipe

This is an amazing comfort food recipe that I recreated from my childhood a long time ago when I first started blogging back in 2010. I entered this essay and my recipe for my Amazing Macaroni and Cheese into a recipe contest for Challenge Butter, and I won a Grand Prize of $2500, along with $500 worth of cooking equipment and tools from Good Cook! It was perfectly timed to arrive when I first started my business, The Artful Gourmet, in NYC and I thought it was appropriate to repost this as we approach Thanksgiving later this week, the ultimate comfort food holiday.

This isn’t just your ordinary Mac and cheese, it’s quite the artisanal twist on this classic recipe – made with creamy Italian Mascarpone, some fresh grated Parmesan Reggiano, some shredded Gruyere and Fontina cheese. The cheese sauce is made with flour, fresh garlic, whole milk and heavy cream, prime European butter, and the dish is topped with smoked crispy bacon and crunchy Parmesan breadcrumbs – a life-changing, mean Mac and Cheese that will transport you back home.

🏡 There’s No Place like Home

Growing up I always associated food with a sense of comfort, warmth, fulfillment and stability. This is something I attribute to my Mom’s home-cooked meals and nights around the dinner table with my family as we discussed the events of our day, bonded through sharing the heartwarming, delicious meals together and after the meal was done, cleaned the kitchen with our Mom and then watched some classic TV shows together before going to bed and getting ready for school the next day.

Mom would make Pot Roast with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans, homemade Lasagna with a salad and garlic bread, Grandma’s Beet Soup with homemade Polish potato dumplings, savory Meatloaf with Mushroom Gravy and Mashed Potatoes, or Fried Pork Chops with Grilled Onions – these were all of our favorites and also heirloom recipes that were handed down from my grandparents and generations past.

That was a long time ago, or so it seems, and since those days I have lived in numerous cities and another country, and still cherish enjoying good food with good people. But nothing compares to those home cooked meals and the sense of comfort they gave me when I was young – those days gave me a solid ground to stand on for life.

One gloomy, dark day in January, I was cooped up in my tiny New York studio apartment feeling completely miserable from the freezing cold weather and had a serious case of the Winter blues. I felt an undying urge to make a home-cooked meal like Mom used to make to cheer me up and get me out of the dismal mood I couldn’t seem to shake.

New York can do that to you sometimes – it is one of the greatest cities in the world, but can also take you to the depths of darkness on those dark, freezing, nasty days in the middle of Winter. That day I decided to go on a quest for comfort. Something warm. Something cozy. Something heartwarming. Something that would fill my soul and renew my spirit.

My head started spinning, and I immediately felt energized and motivated with this new task at hand. What would cheer me up and transport me back in time? After furiously searching through all of my recipes, I found the perfect remedy to ail my blues – a big whopping batch of luscious Macaroni and Cheese. Not just an ordinary one (like the kind you get in a blue box with packets of dried chemical-laden cheese dust), but one that called for some delicious gourmet ingredients to take this kid-friendly recipe and turn it into a serious pot of adult-sized comfort.

I hopped in a cab to Zabars on the Upper West Side with thrill and anticipation. The freezing rain was coming down sideways and beat against the windows. Once I arrived, I headed straight for the Cheese department and was in my glory with their selection of international cheeses that pierce your nose as soon as you walk in the door. I picked up a creamy Italian Mascarpone, some fresh grated Parmesan Reggiano, a chunk of Gruyere and a block of Fontina. Then I found some fresh garlic, real cream, prime European butter, smoked thick cut bacon and of course, imported Italian pasta and this was a recipe for a mean Mac and Cheese.

I prepped my ingredients and carefully crafted my dish of gourmet deliciousness. The pot was brimming with a melted creamy cheese concoction and I poured the luscious ingredients into my baking dish, watching with anticipation as the warm, savory smells filled my kitchen. After an hour of waiting anxiously to savor my creation, I scooped up the bubbly goodness into a bowl and upon tasting the first bite with its brown crispy crust and tangy creamy cheese, was transported back to a time of comfort and bliss, when I didn’t have a care in the world, a simpler time and place that seemed long gone from today in my stressful, fast-paced city life.

“Who cares about the weather”, I thought – I had arrived. I was home.

Amazing Macaroni and cheese recipe

Amazing Macaroni and Cheese

An amazing comfort food I recreated from my childhood made with creamy Italian Mascarpone, some fresh grated Parmesan Reggiano, some shredded Gruyere and Fontina cheese. The cheese sauce is made with fresh garlic, real cream, prime European butter, and topped with smoked thick cut bacon and Parmesan breadcrumbs - this is my award-winning recipe (literally!) for a mean Mac and Cheese that will transport you back home.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup Parmigiana-Reggiano grated
  • 5 ½  tbsp butter
  • ¼ cup all purpose flour plus 2 tbsp
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • White pepper to taste
  • Dash grated nutmeg
  • Dash cayenne pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups Gruyère cheese grated
  • 1 cup Fontina cheese chopped into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups dry pasta macaroni, penne or your choice
  • 4 slices bacon or pancetta cooked and crumbled
  • 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley chopped fine

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour the water into a 3-quart pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, cook the bacon or prosciutto, drain and crumble and set aside.
  2. In a small sauce pan, melt 2 1/2 tablespoons of the butter over low heat. Add the bread crumbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, toss well, and set aside.
  3. Put the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a 2-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan and melt it over low heat. Add the flour and cook for 5 minutes, whisking constantly, but not letting the flour burn. Pour in the milk and cook for 5 minutes, whisking or stirring with a wooden spoon. Add 4 1/2 teaspoons salt, 4 grinds of pepper, the Gruyère, Fontina and mascarpone, dashes of nutmeg and cayenne, and continue to whisk until the cheese is melted and incorporated. Remove the pot from the heat.
  4. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, approximately 8 minutes. Drain the macaroni in a colander and add it to the pot with the cheese sauce. Add crumbled bacon or pancetta and mix well with a wooden spoon.
  5. Pour the macaroni mixture into an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, approximately 30-35 minutes. Serve hot and garnish with fresh parsley. 

Notes

Serves 4 as a side dish. For a main course, double the recipe, serve with a green salad and a glass of crisp dry white wine.

Listen to my new podcast episode with the full story and meaning behind “home” wherever you tune in!

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