Chicken Spaghetti

Oh my!  It's way too long!  I have since gone back to work full time and to be honest, I don't cook or bake and I miss it!  I have also been mildly obsessed with Pinterest and have pinned 537 recipes.  Ummmm... ok. :)

Below is a recipe that I stumbled on while on there and I fell in LOVE with it.  It's easy, simple and so good.  It doesn't take a lot of time at all.  ENJOY!

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

(picture is from here. Recipe is from here.)

 

8 ounces angel hair pasta

2 cups chopped, grilled chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 10-ounce can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained

8 ounces sour cream or greek yogurt

Sprinkling of Parmesan or Mexican-blend cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil pasta as package directs and drain. Mix all other ingredients (except cheese), add to cooked pasta and put in a 9" x 13" baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with your choice of cheese and return to oven to melt.

Enjoy with a simple spinach salad and thick, crusty slices of warm French or multi-grain bread. Yum!

Mediterranean Tuna Noodle Casserole

I'm not big into casseroles.  I don't know why, I'm just not.  Never have been, until now.  This casserole is so good and now a family favorite. You can also substitute the tuna for chicken.  I have used a rotisserie chicken to make it fast and easy!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

MEDITERRANEAN TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE

1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for baking dishes

1 bag extra wide egg noodles

2 red bell peppers, diced and cleaned

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

5 cups whole milk or 5 cups of almond milk (great non fat alternative to whole milk)

4 small cans or 2 large tuna, drained

1 small can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 13x9 baking dish and set aside. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles until almost done; drain, and return to pot.

Meanwhile, in a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add bell peppers; season with salt and pepper. Cook until crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a simmer.

Remove from heat; add mixture to noodles in pot, along with tuna and artichoke hearts. Season with salt and pepper, and toss. Put into baking dish and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until golden and bubbling, about 20 minutes.

For those kiddos in your life... Fish Sticks Marinara

2 cups frozen broccoli spears, thawed, drained
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
12 frozen breaded fish sticks
1 container (15 oz) marinara sauce or 2 cups tomato pasta sauce (any variety)
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (1 oz)
6 slices mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 350°F. In ungreased 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish, arrange broccoli. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with basil and garlic. Place fish sticks on broccoli. Spoon marinara sauce over fish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Arrange mozzarella cheese on top.

Bake uncovered about 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. (recipe and Picture from bettycrocker.com)

Tortilla Pie with Chicken

12 corn tortillas (6-inch), toasted
2 cups cooked, shredded dark-meat chicken, I just use a rotisserie chicken from the store
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles
1 1/2 cups Green or Red Salsa (recipe below)
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (6 ounces)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In an 8-inch square baking dish, layer 4 tortillas, 1 cup chicken, cup chiles, 1/2 cup salsa, 1/3 cup sour cream, and 1/2 cup cheese; repeat once. Top with remaining tortillas, salsa, sour cream, and cheese. Bake until top is browned and bubbling, 30 to 40 minutes.

Green or Red Salsa
8 tomatillos (for red salsa use 6 plum tomatoes, halved)
1 onion
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, halved and seeded
1 garlic clove, minced
salt
In a baking sheet, broil tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapenos and garlic until lightly charded. About 4 minutes. Puree in a blender until smooth. Thin with 1/2 to 3/4 cup water and season with salt.
(recipe and Picture found at www.marthastewart.com/everyday)

Ham Fettucine Bake

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. dried parsley flakes
3TBS. butter, divided
2 TBS. All purpose flour
2 cups of milk
1-1/2 cups of cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
1-1/2 cups cooked fettuccine
1 cup of frozen peas

In a small skillet, cook bread crumbs and parsley in 1 TBS. butter over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the remaining butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add the milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes until thickened. Stir in cheese; cook for 2-3 minutes longer or until melted. Stir in ham, fettuccine and peas. Transfer to a greased 8x11 baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumb mixture. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until bubbly.