Yummy Chicken and Noodle Casserole

I'mmmmm BaaAAAaaackk!

My mother's recent obsession with blogs got me thinking about mine.  When I logged on and saw that I had had so many views on my sad two post blog I got re-inspired (Plus I was getting bugged that I wasn't using my camera enough that I got for a Christmas present two year ago).  I find it ironic that it was this time last year that I started and then stopped this blog.  Not this year!!  I will try to keep up with it in addition to: finishing grad school, getting my gifted certification, starting the new common core curriculum......I think I might be a self-punisher. Whatever- this can be my escape!

It has been raining like crazy for what feels like a month.  So even though it is the middle of summer my cousin and I were laying in bed watching crime shows on Sunday afternoon when we both agreed that we were craving chicken and rice.  I looked up a lot of recipes on Pinterest (my boyfriend thinks there should be a Manterest) and they all seemed so complicated.  If I have learned anything since I have become a religious "chef" is that the more complicated the recipe the meaner/madder I get and the worse I feel it tastes!  So instead I shifted gears and found this comfort food substitute that I made slight changes to to make it healthier and easier on my part.

Where I substituted out fat and salt, I did not substitute out flavor.  The casserole itself maintained its rich and smooth texture while the top was crunchy and cheesy.  The rotisserie chicken not only added to the easy but took the taste to the next level since it was very moist. This is one dish that you not only will not be able to stop eating!

Here's what you need:

1 Rotisserie Chicken (save yourself the work and this makes the chicken in the casserole so much more moist and tasty!)

2 1/2 Cups cooked Broad Noyolks noodles

3 Tbsp Butter

1/2 Medium Onion

1 Can 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup

1 Can Healthy Select Reduced Sodium Chicken Soup

2 Cups of Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 Cup Milk

1/4 Cup Crackers (I used Club since I had them on hand)

Then you:

1. Separate the meat from the bone of the rotisserie chicken.  This should yield about 3 1/2 cups.  Start to boil your water.

2. Chop your onion and add it to a large sauce pan with the butter (not sure why I melted my butter first...blond moment!).  You want to do this until the onions get clear.

3. Add your noodles to the water.

4. Then add the two cans of soup and 1 and 1/2 cups of the cheese.

5.  Add the milk slowly (I did this about a 1/4 cup at a time).  This is when the sauce started to look super creamy and delicious!

6. Turn the burner down to simmer while the noodles finish cooking.  This is when I crushed up my crackers with a baggie and a pink cup!

7.  Mix the noodles into the mixture and check to see if extra salt and pepper is needed.  That's one thing that I have learned from Chopped and Next Food Network Star...SEASON!  The wonderful thing is you can do it guilt free since you didn't use a whole bunch of sodium packed soup!

8. Once you have added your chicken to the yummy noodle mixture, transfer the mixture to a greased pan.  Place the crackers on top and cook for 25 minutes.

9. When the time goes off add the last 1/2 cup of cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

It was fabulous!  I even got a, "You can definitely make this again!" from a boyfriend who says that rarely (probably my fault since I try to cook healthy food a little too much).  It was the perfect Monday night meal to eat on the family room floor while watching the movie Salt (Don't waste your time on the movie however!).

Let me know what your favorite comfort food is when its rainy out!
See you soon!  I promise!!!