Chicken Gloria Casserole

When I was younger, my mom, Gloria, was a hard-working woman with two children. She very rarely had a lot of free time but always managed to put a home-cooked meal on the table. One of the special meals she would make was called “Chicken Gloria.” It’s a hearty dish that was my favorite and has since become my children’s favorite.

Even though she is a full-blooded Italian, my mom often liked to make many types of French and Spanish dishes. On her days off, she would make chocolate soufflés, beautiful pear tarts, Spanish paella and, for holidays, Coquille St. Jacques. On her workdays, Mom naturally didn’t have as much time but she would still cook. She was very creative in coming up with interesting dishes that were delicious as well as quick and easy to prepare.

Chicken Gloria is her European twist on a recipe that has been around for a while. The combination of creamy mushroom soup, sherry wine and melted cheese makes this meal a stick-to-your-ribs dinner that everyone just loves.

To start, she would fillet and trim chicken breasts in half lengthwise so they weren’t thick and would remain tender while cooking. She then seasoned the cutlets with salt and pepper and lightly dredged them in flour.