I've stated before my love for vintage reading material, particularly women's magazines from the 1930s-1950s. I love reading them, including the ads, and immersing myself somewhat wistfully in that world. Some of the articles are amusingly dated; some of the fiction is quite good; the fashion pages are especially fascinating! But the one aspect I can't get excited about are most of the recipes and menu plans. For some reason, they don't…sound appetizing enough to tempt me.

But I did find an exception in this ad, found in a 1936 issue of Women's Home Companion.

And we just happened to have some chicken and gravy to use up. So I decided to give it a try, and share it with you here as a fun vintage dish to try.

Since the instructions were rather skimpy, like most old recipes, I've rewritten it below in slightly more detail. Me being me, I also added a few seasonings not in the original recipe and made a few other changes.

The result is a tasty dumpling type dish with the chicken baked in it. 

Chicken Puff

Men like hearty dishes, rich in flavor. Women like them delicate and interestingly new.

Here's a delightful new recipe that appeals to both. Chicken Puff pairs delightfully

with cranberry relish, candied sweet potatoes and buttered cauliflower. Try it!

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs, separated

1 cup milk

1-3 cups chicken, cut fine

2 tsp scraped onion (I used dried minced onion)

I added a sprinkle of garlic powder, celery seed, dried parsley, and chives as well

1/4 – 1/2 cup grated raw carrot

2 T melted butter or chicken fat

1 1/2 cups chicken gravy

In the mixing bowl of your stand mixer, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; add beaten egg yolks and milk.

Add chicken, onion, carrot, seasonings, and melted butter or fat; mix well.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Stir by hand into chicken mixture just enough to combine.

Bake in a 9-10 in. greased casserole dish at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, or until center is no longer doughy.

Serve with hot chicken gravy. Serves 6.

The amounts can be played around with, with no bad results. If you have extra chicken or grated carrots, sling 'em in. I made a batch and a half and baked it in a 9 x 13 cake pan, which of course affects the baking time. Next time I want to try replacing the carrots with grated cheese. A nice hot dish for lunch, and a perfect way to use up leftover gravy. Time to tie a flowered apron over a house dress and head for the kitchen for some '30s flavor!