chicken noodle casserole

A Fast & Hearty Meal

My grandmother “Nanny” (Betty’s Mom) and I were the best of friends when I was growing up.

We spent a lot of time laughing and being silly.

I’d have sleep-overs at Nanny’s on the weekend and we’d walk from the Barcelona Apartments at 33 Brees Boulevard around the corner to Winn’s Five And Dime store in the Sunset Ridge shopping center. I was toy huntin’.

Nanny had a special cardboard box of toys tucked in her closet just for my visits. While the toys provided much needed entertainment in a time before computers and cable or satellite TV, my favorite time during my visits was when Nanny would cook.

For Sunday breakfast, she’d make waffles; not an “Eggo” popped in the toaster, but homemade waffles dripping with butter and syrup! For her special dish, she’d make chicken noodle soup with real chicken she’d carefully boil off the bone. She’d fill the soup with her wonderfully wide egg noodles and serve. My taste buds would go into outer space! Love me some savory.

While this chicken noodle casserole won’t appear on today’s cooking shows targeted to the fancy foodie (um, it calls for *canned* chicken), it’s very hearty and quick to make. It’s a dish inspired from chicken noodle soup so who doesn’t love that?

Soup’s On

i. ingredients

1 can | cream of chicken soup
⅓ cup | milk
1 cup (5 oz. can) | boned chicken
1 cup | cooked noodles (al dente)
1 cup | green beans, fresh or frozen
1 teaspoon | fresh minced onion
to top | buttered bread crumbs

ii. what to do

1. In a 1 ½ quart casserole, blend soup with milk, add chicken, noodles, green beans and onion. Gently mix all ingredients. Top with bread crumbs.

2. Cover casserole and place in refrigerator early in the day.

3. When ready to heat, preheat oven to 400°F.

4. Bake casserole about 25 minutes, let rest a few minutes and serve!

Makes: 4 servings.

Foodie Tips ~

♥ Per Mom; “Fix in the morning ~ heat it up at nite.”

♥ This recipe can easily be doubled (the more the merrier).

♥ I measured 1 cup of uncooked elbow pasta then cooked it al dente (vs. cooking the pasta first and measuring off 1 cup).

♥ Use Falfurrias brand butter ~ it was Nanny’s butter of choice!

♥ Not a canned chicken fan? You can substitute it with cooked chicken.