Mama’s Chicken Poulet, or “Chicken Chicken”
There used to be a little restaurant in Decatur, Alabama called The Iron Gate. My mother dearly loved that place. I remember her taking us to meet her sister there, who’d have my baby cousin with her (That baby is now a DJ in Little Rock, Arkansas – who let him grow up?!). We’d play in the lobby where they had all of these large leaf plants and Mama an her sister would wait for them to open so they could go inside and have Mama’s favorite dish – which she calls Chicken Poulet. The funny thing is, Poulet means “Chicken” in french so really, this dish is called Chicken Chicken.
Since it was a restaurant that catered primarily to adults, their menu didn’t have much that appealed to children so they allowed parents to bring in fast food for them to eat. Silly me, I thought I was lucky at the time as I sat there with my paper wrapped hamburger and Mama dined on Poulet and homemade rolls!
Nowadays, I don’t actually consider fast food edible by most counts – its just something you eat to keep from starving when you have no other choice. But this Poulet is actually pretty fast when it boils down to it because you assemble it the night before and stick it in your fridge. Come home from work or a day of running the errand rat race and just top it with your cream soup, pop it in the oven, and supper is on it’s way!
Now we’re talkin!

You’re gonna need: Chicken, cheese, mayo, green onions, eggs (You’ll need four so ignore the two in the pic), stick margarine, 1pkg peppridge farm stuffing, milk, cream of chicken soup, little bit of salt, and a can of chicken broth.
The chicken broth isn’t pictured. I tried to get him to hop on the table but he was camera shy
.

Place your water and margarine in a cup and melt in the microwave until the margarine is completely liquefied.

Look at our pretty bowl we’re gonna use today! Isn’t it nice and sunshiney?
Okay, I’ll get back in the kitchen now…just had to show ya what had me grinning!

Place stuffing mix in a large bowl. Add water and melted margarine.

Stir

Add chicken broth

and eggs
Stir that up good, too.

In a separate bowl, place shredded chicken, mayo, and onions.
I just boiled a couple of chicken breasts for this but you can use leg quarters, a whole fryer, even canned chicken! Just cook it until done and remove and shred meat to use in this.

Stir that up good.

Place half of stuffing mix in the bottom of a 9×13 pan.

Top with all of the chicken mixture. Sprinkle with salt.

Top with the remaining stuffing mix.

In a measuring cup, beat two eggs. Pour in milk.

Stir that up a bit.

Pour over poulet

Like so
It will be a little runny but that’s okay!
Cover this up and stick it in the fridge for at least eight hours.
I just stick it in there the night before I plan on having it for supper.

Right before baking, spread the can of cream of mushroom soup over it.
Bake at 350, uncovered, for 45 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with cheese.
Return to oven for about five minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Have ya a lil’ chicken chicken ~grins~
Ingredients
- Chicken Poulet
-
- 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
- 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1/2 C Mayo
- 1/4 C Green Onions
- 4 eggs
- 1 stick margarine
- 2 Cups Chicken Broth (a )) ounce can
- 16 ounce pkg Peppridge Farm corn bread stuffing mix
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- Sprinkling of salt
Instructions
- Melt stick of margarine in cup of water by heating in the microwave. Place stuffing mix in bowl. Pour water and margarine over and stir. Add 2 eggs and chicken broth, stir.
- In separate bowl, combine shredded chicken, mayo, and onions. Stir well.
- Place 1/2 of stuffing mix in bottom of a 9x13 pan. Top with all of chicken mixture. Dash salt over chicken. Top with remaining stuffing mix. Beat together remaining two eggs and milk. Pour over mixture in pan. Cover and place in refrigerator for at least eight hours.
- Before baking, remove cover and spread cream of mushroom soup over top. Place in 350 oven, uncovered, and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and top with shredded cheese. Return for another five minutes, or until cheese is melted.
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Ingredients
- Chicken Poulet
- 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
- 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1/2 C Mayo
- 1/4 C Green Onions
- 4 eggs
- 1 stick margarine
- 2 Cups Chicken Broth (a )) ounce can
- 16 ounce pkg Peppridge Farm corn bread stuffing mix
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- Sprinkling of salt
Instructions
- Melt stick of margarine in cup of water by heating in the microwave. Place stuffing mix in bowl. Pour water and margarine over and stir. Add 2 eggs and chicken broth, stir.
- In separate bowl, combine shredded chicken, mayo, and onions. Stir well.
- Place 1/2 of stuffing mix in bottom of a 9x13 pan. Top with all of chicken mixture. Dash salt over chicken. Top with remaining stuffing mix. Beat together remaining two eggs and milk. Pour over mixture in pan. Cover and place in refrigerator for at least eight hours.
- Before baking, remove cover and spread cream of mushroom soup over top. Place in 350 oven, uncovered, and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and top with shredded cheese. Return for another five minutes, or until cheese is melted.
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This sounds so good and easy to boot! I would love to make this, but live in a place that does not have cornbread stuffing available–at all. What could I use that would be a good substitute for that ingredient?
where do you live that does not have cornbread dressing? not even stovetop brand? My goodness.
Making this chicken chicken for dinner tonight!!! Nothing better than chicken and cornbread…:)
I hope you liked it Sandy!!!
Is it completely necessary to refrigerate this for 8 hrs? I planned this for dinner but forgot that it had to set for 8 hrs. Nothing else is planned for dinner so I made it anyway and directly popped it in the oven. Is it ruined? Or is it just going to turn out differently? HELP!!
I’ve got this in the oven right now. I didn’t let it sit for the 8 hours. Hoping it turns out delicious. I’m sure the 8 hours is to allow the milk and egg mixture to soak in. Would love to know how your’s turned out.
I grew up in Hartselle, Alabama (just a few miles south of Decatur) and remember clearly the Iron Gate restaurant. I tagged along with my mom in the summer when she did her ladies who lunch thing with her friends. I would never try the poulet or strawberry pretzel salad, I always had a ham sandwich. Now, of course, I love poulet!
Shelley’s Iron Gate…many fond memories. I grew up in Decatur and remember when the Iron Gate was on Danville Road before she moved downtown. Everything at the Iron Gate was amazing!
It says cream of Chicken soup at the top of the recipe, but says cream of Mushroom soup near the bottom. Which is correct?
Cream of Mushroom is correct. I have made this recipe for years. It’s amazing!
I used to live in Decatur. I am one of those ladies who get together for lunch with friends a lot. My friends and co-workers loved to eat at the Iron Gate. And this poulet is so delicious. It’s a great dish and nothing like regular chicken and dressing. (much better) I think you can now get this dish at the restaurant in Madison by the railroad tracks. I have heard that the same people that ran Iron Gate now have this restaurant. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong about this. Anyway, the recipe is easy and delicious.
Main Street Cafe in Madison…. I don’t know if it is the same people, but either way their poulet is great!
I loved the Iron Gate and have eaten at both of them in Decatur. I have been making Poulet for years and have the original recipe from Shelley around here somewhere….
Hi Christy…can you please add the button that lets me save this to my recipe box?
Thank you!
Miss Annette, if you don’t have cornbread stuffing, then celery, onion and crumbled cornbread work just as well. This sounds tasty, i will have to make it! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Made this for the first time this past week. The only thing I did different from your recipe was sprinkle some garlic powder in the water that I boiled the chicken in. It was yet another yummy dish and easy peezy to make. Thank you Christy for being such a good sharer. ♥
I am so glad to hear that you liked it!!!
Chisty,
Even though I had read the entire recipe through, I got all excited to make this last night, put it together and saw the *8 hour* I contemplated if I should cook it or follow the instructions which would mean longer than the 8 hours because I woud not cook it until tonite. I covered it and put it in the fridge and hope the extra hours will not harm the dish! I made salisbury steak and mashed potatoes in a hurry after that little mix up! I can’t wait to have this for dinner shortly! Please give me a little insight on the 8 hour rule. Is that for the egg milk to soak in and flavors to blend? Just curious. Thank you. Happy Mothers Day! Carmell
I loved having lunch there. Poulet was wondeful. I wish I had the recipe for thier spiced tea!
I was wondering if anyone was going to use the name Shelley’s. I grew up eating there with my Mama in old Decatur and loved the old home it was located in. With the Poulet I also make the marinated carrots, strawberry pretzel salad, and French mint tea for luncheons, here in MN. Will do it for a Baby Shower luncheon in Nov.
So glad to have found this recipe. I had this on my visit there. I ate there one time when I took my mom to Decatur to visit family. My mom lived in that house and it was the home I remembering go to to visit my grandfather when I was a little girl.