Some people wonder why I am such a big fan of Le Creuset Cookware. It all started after we got married and moved into our first house in the mid 1980’s. I really wanted a great pan that would last for at least 10 years. I knew that Le Creuset was very expensive. A very good quality pan from a good company. But there was away that I could get at least one piece as a newlywed. My dad and I pooled our Betty Crocker Catalog points. With at least a 6 x 9 inch envelope full of points bundled up and a check for $35.00, I got my first piece. The money was from rebates and using coupons when I went grocery shopping. The Betty Crocker Company use to put point’s coupons on everything that they sold. I used those points for everything in my kitchen including my Oneida silverware, white Corelle dinnerware set which is also still in use, I bought this before I got married.
Fast forward to February 28, 2023. The pan I bought in the mid 1980’s, is the pan I am using to cook dinner in tonight. It is a simple Salsa Verde Chicken.
1 double chicken breast
1/2 cup Salsa Verde and water
Spray the pan with nonstick olive oil. Place the chicken in the casserole dish. Wash your hands with hot soapy water. Cover with the Sals Verde Sauce. Pour the water around the edges of the chicken.
Bake at 350f for 35 to 45 minutes. It is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165f. The extra water makes the chicken more tender.
This is dinner for 2 nights for us. When we were younger we would eat this as 1 meal for 2.
Over the years I would get more pieces for myself and my daughter. I even passed down 1 pan that I could no longer lift do to arthritis. My daughter now uses it for holidays. In the long run the pan has cost less than $1.00 per year. Over the years I have gotten a few more pieces, but the heart shaped pan is still my favorite. It ranks right up there with my Kitchen Aid K-5A mixer bought in 1978 for a whole paycheck and still in use today.
