For picky eaters, you can keep the sauce extra smooth by serving the chicken finely shredded and skipping any chunky add-ins. If your family likes a little color, stir in a cup of frozen peas or steamed broccoli florets during the last 20–30 minutes of cooking so they stay bright and tender. For a slightly lighter version, use reduced-fat cream cheese and a “healthy” style cream of chicken soup; you can also replace half the cream cheese with plain Greek yogurt stirred in right at the end (off the heat) for added tang and protein. If you prefer darker meat, boneless, skinless chicken thighs work wonderfully and stay very moist—just trim excess fat first. To stretch the meal for a crowd, add 1/2–1 cup of chicken broth during cooking to create more sauce, then serve over a big pot of pasta. You can also swap the cream of chicken soup for cream of mushroom if that’s what you have on hand, or stir in a handful of grated Parmesan at the end for an extra cheesy, restaurant-style touch. If anyone in the family is sensitive to salt, look for low-sodium soup and Italian dressing mix, then season to taste at the end.
