Miscellania Life’s Miscellania

Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

This is an "experiment" that worked and everyone liked, so I am going to try to remember how I did it. Measurements are guesstimates because I never measure when I cook, so use your own judgement on the amount of seasonings and taste.

1. Cooking Liquid & Chicken
   • 3 skinnless, boneless chicken breasts, roughly chopped
   • 2 10.5 ounce cans condensed chicken noodle soup
   • 1 soupcan of water
   • 6-8 cloves of garlic, chopped (more or less to taste)
   • 1 small onion, chopped
   • 2 tsp garlic powder
   • 1 tsp poultry seasoning OR 1 envelope (.75 oz) "Amazing Taste for Poultry" seasoning
2. Remainder of Ingredients
   • 8oz sour cream
   • 12 oz wide egg noodles
   • 1 bunch broccoli, chopped (including stems—small dice)
   • Salt to taste
3. Topping
   • 3 slices sandwich bread, toasted
   • 1/3 cup parmesean cheese, grated
   • 1/2 tsp caroway seeds (optional)
   • 1/8 tsp celery salt
   • 2 tsp garlic powder (or less to taste)
   • 1.5 tsp onion powder
   • 1/2 stick (4 tbsp) salted butter or margarine

Combine soup, onion, garlic, water, garlic powder, poultry seasoning and chicken in a medium to large pot. Add just under enough water to cover if needed. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook until chicken is done and tender.

Add sour cream and mix well. Add egg noodles and cook till noodles are about 1/2 done and liquid is reduced. Stir in broccoli and add salt to taste. Pour into 9×13 pan. Cover with foil. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 35 minutes.

While casserole is cooking toast 3 slices of white sandwich bread. Let cool. Break into pieces and put in food processor. Add parmesean cheese, carroway seeds, celery salt, garlic powder and onion powder. Run through the food processor till fine crumbs. Dump crumb mixture in a medium sized bowl. Melt the butter and stir into crumb mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Remove casserole from oven. Make sure noodles are tender. If not cook longer. If they are tender sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over the top. Do not replace foil over the top. Put casserole under broiler (or for electric oven set to broil). Watch very carefully and remove once crumbs are browned. It does not take long.

Russ actually requested salad the other night, which is rare, so I made a huge salad. I made it also including romaine lettuce, but i think it would be just as good without it. This is what I did:

1 bag of hearts of romaine

3 roma tomatoes (only ones that were decently red), diced

3 green onions, chopped

1 bell pepper, diced

1 English cucumber, diced

1 pkg sweet off the cob corn thawed under cold running water

1/2 pkg shelled Edamame, steamed 2-3 mins, then cooled

1 pkg diced oven roasted chicken breast

real bacon bits to taste

a few handfuls of roasted, salted sunflower kernels

I just threw all of that together in a big bowl and mixed it with my hands. I made homemade buttermilk ranch to go with it. It was good that night, but a lot of the romaine was eaten so the leftovers were mostly the other veggies and stuff. I just dumped a little ranch into the container and stirred it well and ate it and to me it was even better that way.

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Last night I was feeling sort of unmotivated to cook, but we had to eat, so I threw together a chicken and pasta dish rather quickly

1 pkg chicken tenderloins (probably about 10 or so pieces)

cornstarch

salt & pepper

garlic & herb no salt seasoning

olive oil

1 bag frozen broccoli florets

2/3 carton College Inn Chicken stock – wine and herb flavor or regular chicken stock, just use a little less broth and add some white wine and itialian seasoning.

1/2 a pound small pasta like radiatori

I seasoned the cornstarch, dredged the chicken, shook off the excess. Then I started the water for the pasta. I heated some olive oil in my electric skillet and added the chicken. I browned both sides of the chicken, then added the stock and broccoli. I reserved a little of the seasoned cornstarch to thicken the sauce if needed. I cooked the pasta and simmered the chicken and broccoli until they both were done. Drain the pasta, stir it into the chicken. taste and adjust seasonings. Mix a little water with the cornstarch that was reserved and add to the chicken and pasta, stirring well.