Saturday, April 11, 2009

Amish Chicken Noodle Casserole


This is a great dish to use up leftover chicken. The week after I wrote this post about my frugal $5 chicken, I got two more whole chickens for $7 - for both of them! So we've been eating a lot of chicken lately! I cooked them in the crockpot, with about 4 cups of water, a couple of bay leaves, and some seasoning salt. Then I shredded the leftover chicken and froze it in ziploc bags, 2 1/2 cups to each bag. I also froze the broth in 2 cup amounts.

That has made meal planning very simple lately. Just pull out a bag of chicken and a bag of broth in the morning, and they were ready for this casserole in the afternoon.

I asked Hubby for some ideas of what meals he would like, and chicken and noodles was one of his choices. I had remembered having a chicken noodle casserole when I was a teen during a visit to an Amish farm. Of course, they had homemade noodles in their casserole. If you have time to make homemade noodles, go for it. I just haven't had that kind of time with a toddler underfoot! (Although I would like to try that again soon.)

The only thing I changed with this recipe is that I omitted the mushrooms (due to my allergy) and used peas instead. It turned out great!


Amish Chicken Noodle Casserole

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces noodles, cooked
  • 2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
  • 2 cups chicken broth (canned is ok)
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 (4 ounce) can mushrooms
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup margarine
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Melt margarine, then add flour and stir until smooth.
2. Gradually add milk and broth, then seasonings and mushrooms.
3. Combine chicken, cooked noodles, and prepared sauce.
4. Place in an ungreased 9 x 13 inch baking pan and top with Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake at 350ºF for 35-45 minutes, or until heated thoroughly and top is browned slightly.
 
Nutritional Info:
Makes 8 servings
Calories: 281; Fat: 4 grams; Carbs: 48 grams; Fiber: 6 grams; Protein: 14 grams