Chicken Spaghetti

This dish is one of my kids favorites.

They ask for it often.

And I make it often.

Because I am their cooking slave.

And because it is easy.

Let's get started.

What you will need:

3 cups of dry Angel Hair Pasta (broken into 2 inch pieces)
4-6 chicken breasts (or 1 whole Chicken cut up)
2 cups of chicken broth reserved from the pot
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
3 cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp. of Lawry's seasoning salt
Salt and pepper to taste

(optional: green pepper, onion, pimentos)

First, fill your pot with water and boil your chicken.






Boil it until done.

I tend to boil my chicken really done.

I am a little scared of salmonella.

Just a little.

Once the chicken is cooked, take each piece out of the pot with tongs and place them in your colander.

Do not drain the water from the pot!

Repeat: Do not drain the water from the pot.

Instead set aside 2 cups of the broth in a measuring cup.

I will let you know when you will need it.




Put the pot of brothy water back on the burner to cook your pasta in.

Break up your pasta into 2 inch pieces.

Stack them neatly and methodically in a measuring cup and be sure you have exactly 3 cups.

Okay the neat and methodical is how I do it, but you can just throw it in there if it makes you happy.




Cook your pasta.

If you are using angel hair, it usually takes about four minutes.

Do not overcook.

While your pasta is cooking, go ahead and chop up your chicken.

You should have about 2 cups of cooked chicken.




When your pasta is done, mix it with the remaining ingredients.

Namely the chicken, the soups, the seasoning salt, and the salt and pepper.

Oh and Hello! The cheese. Just two cups though. Save the third cup for later.

Stir the mixture up and begin adding the reserved chicken broth gradually.

I told you I would tell you when you would need it.

You want the mixture to be moist and creamy, but not soupy.

Spoon the mixture into a greased 9x13 casserole dish.

Top with the last cup of cheese.

Place this dish of delish in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes.

Skillet Surprise

I am going to share with you yet another recipe from my childhood.

I think this dish is when I discovered my love of vegetables.

Vegetables covered in cheese, but veggies none the less.

Let's get started shall we?

Here is what you will need:

1 lb of Hamburger meat

1/2 cup chopped onion (optional)
6-8 potatoes
4 cups shredded cabbage
Small bag of carrots or 3 medium carrots
1 can of mushrooms
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 cup of Shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp. of salt

dash of pepper

1 Cup of water

First, brown your hamburger meat.

Try not to start chopping up the veggies and forget about the meat like me.



Ignore those bits of slightly overdone hamburger would ya?



Drain your hamburger of all unnecessary grease.

We are going to add lots of unnecessary cheese later.

We need to conserve calories at this point.

While your hamburger meat is draining, you can begin chopping.

Let's start with the potatoes.

Peel them and slice them like so.

Next, slice your cabbage and carrots.

You can open up your can of mushrooms, drain, and dump those on the cutting board too.

You may dice any of those that are too large for your taste.

I just prefer to pick out the big ones and eat them.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love mushrooms?

I do.





Now that you have all your vegetables chopped and looking pretty on your cutting board, you are ready to start assembling the surprise.

Sprinkle a layer of hamburger meat in the bottom of your pot.

Pour about 1 cup of water over that.

Now add your sliced potatoes.

It should resemble this.





Now begin layering.

Add a layer of cabbage.

A layer of mushrooms.

A layer of carrots.

A layer of life savers.





Okay I just threw that in to make sure you were paying attention.

Everyone awake?

Good.

Just keep layering.

Hamburger, potatoes, cabbage, mushrooms, carrots.

Until you run out of ingredients.

Sprinkle the last bit of hamburger on the top.




Pour the Cream of Mushroom Soup over all of it.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook covered on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes.

Sprinkle cheese over the top.

Cook for five more minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Now take the lid off and enjoy your surprise!!!

CHICKEN CASSEROLE

This is my new favorite chicken casserole recipe. It came from a Southern Living cookbook. (Nuff said) I am not a huge fan of celery or water chestnuts, but trust me when I tell you that they add just the right amount of crunch to the incredible texture in this dish. Make this for your family tonight. They will thank you for it. Mine did.

Ingredients:

3 cups chopped deli roasted chicken

(I used 6 chicken breasts instead which was about 4 cups)

2 cups of finely chopped celery

1 4oz. can of water chestnuts (drained and finely chopped)

1/2 Cup of slivered almonds

1 Cup of grated cheddar cheese

1/2 Cup light sour cream

1/2 Cup light mayo

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

1 1/2 Cup French fried onion rings

Mix together the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir together well with spoon.

(Do NOT mix in the Kitchen aid. It will mess up the consistency of this recipe.)

Spoon into lightly greased 13x9 baking dish.

Bake @ 350 degrees for about 40 mins.

Sprinkle with onion rings and bake 5 more minutes or until bubbly around edges.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 6-8 servings.

HAMBURGER SURPRISE!!!

My mother made this yummy casserole when I was growing up.

I reminds me of my childhood.

Now I make it for my kids.

Here is what you will need for this comforting surprise:

1 1/2 pounds Hamburger meat

1 16oz. can of Tomato Sauce

2 cups of Macaroni noodles (uncooked)

1 cup of Cottage Cheese (low fat, small curd)

1/2 cup Sour Cream

6oz. Cream cheese (softened)

1 cup Cheddar Cheese

What?

I never told you it was low fat.

I just said it was yummy!

Brown and drain the hamburger meat.

Boil your noodles.

Drain.

Layer half the noodles on the bottom of 9x13 casserole dish.

Mix together the cottage cheese, sour cream, and cream cheese.

Pour this mixture over hot noodles.

Spread.

Layer the second half of noodles on top.

Mix the hamburger meat and tomato sauce together.

Pour this meat and sauce mixture over the noodles.

Top with cheddar cheese.

Cover and bake @ 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. (or until hot and bubbly)

Enjoy!

Mexican Chicken

This has to be the easiest dinner ever.

It is also delicious.

Easy and delicious are always a good combination.

Ingredients:

1 can of sweet corn

1 can of black beans

1 jar of salsa

3 chicken breasts(frozen)

Mexican cheese

Sour cream (optional)

Place the frozen chicken breasts in the bottom of your crock pot.

Pour the corn, beans, and half of the salsa on top.

Cook all day...or part of the day. (it is up to you)

When the water is mostly cooked out, start stirring the chicken with a fork.

It will fall apart.

It will look like shredded chicken.

It is.

Stir everything together.

Pour the contents of the crock pot onto a dish.

Top with shredded cheese and sour cream.

I like to serve it with Tortilla chips.

My family also likes to roll it up in tortilla shells.

I usually double this recipe.

The pictures shown are of a doubled recipe.

Remember: Easy and Delicious!

Wendi's La La Lasagna

Not long after I was married, I bought a Stouffers Lasagna. I popped it in the oven for dinner. It was easy. It was not great. I knew there must be better. Over the years I have made many lasagnas. I have added and changed the ingredients. I never composed a recipe. I also never made another Stouffers. (sorry Mr. Stouffer) This is the recipe I used for dinner tonight and may I say, it was de-de-de-licious!!!

Meat sauce:

2 lbs. Hamburger ( cooked and drained)
1 clove of garlic ( or 1/2 tsp. minced garlic)
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Basil
2 Bay Leaves

Other Ingredients:

1 container of Ricotta cheese ( or small curd cottage cheese)
2 lbs. of Mozzarella Cheese
Lasagna Noodles ( NOT cooked)
1/2 C. water

Brown hamburger. Add garlic to the meat while browning. Salt to taste.
Drain.

Put hamburger back into pot.
Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste.

Add Oregano, Basil, and bay leaves.

Let simmer. ( for at least 30 mins.)

Get a 9x13 casserole dish. Spray with cooking spray.
Remove bay leaves from sauce. ( they give a wonderful flavor to the sauce, but are not good to eat)

Put a small layer of meat sauce in the bottom of the dish.

Put a layer of lasagna noodles on top of the meat sauce.

Spoon the ricotta cheese over the noodles.

Pour a layer of mozzarella cheese over the ricotta.

Continue layering.





Meat sauce, noodles, cheeses.
You will be able to get four layers in a 9x 13.
The topping will be the small amount of meat sauce left in the pot.






Drizzle that over the last layer of cheese.

Take 1/2 cup of water and pour evenly around the outside edge of the lasagna.* This is a suggestion from Paula Deen. I do everything Paula says. It works. Your lasagna will be so moist. I promise you will thank me.


Cover with foil.




Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Take the lasagna out and let it stand for about 10 minutes.

This will give you time to put the bread in the oven and put the finishing touches on your salad.

Enjoy! I promise your taste buds will thank you!!!