Monday, August 22, 2016

Crunchy Chicken Casserole


Casserole, casserole, how do I love thee, casserole? A lot, I can tell you. I have been so busy that the thought of cooking even a “meal for one” seemed daunting. There is a lot that needs doing when someone leaves this earth, and I have been tackling a portion of that every day. I've also gone a bit crazy cleaning, organizing, and painting, exhausting myself in the process. Last week, I kid you not, I moved a full-sized recliner from the lower level, up a staircase into the upper level, all by myself. It was foolish of course; one might even say crazy. I was one of them, particularly when I got three steps from the top and thought I'm not going to make it. I stood there, braced against the steps and the chair, feeling bruises starting to form for about five minutes before I took a deep breath and muscled it the rest of the way to the top. I was one proud girl, I can tell you.

Responses to my feat of hoisting this bulky beast up a staircase were varied.

Son #1: Are you kidding me!?!?  You should have let me do that.

Son #2: Dang! That's awesome.

Dad: Raised his eyebrows as the color drained from his face.

Where am I going with this? Before I moved the chair, I put this casserole together, covering it, and storing it in the fridge until it was time to bake. When it was time for dinner I was so glad that I could crawl into the kitchen, pop this into the oven, and have dinner ready in half an hour. With school starting, you'll want to have a family pleasing casserole at the ready to bake as well. This is the one.
Crunchy Chicken Casserole

1 ½ to 2 cups cooked cut up chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken)
1 cup diced celery
1 8-oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 cups chow mein noodles
2 Tablespoons chopped green pepper
1 3-oz. can French fried onions (reserve ½ cup for topping)
3-4 spears Melissa’s Hearts of Palm, sliced into ¼” coins
¼ cup Melissa’s Fire Roasted Red Bell Peppers, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray a 1-1/2-quart casserole with Pam; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except reserved onions. Spoon mixture into casserole, spread evenly to edges, and sprinkle with reserved onions. Bake uncovered about 30 minutes until bubbly. Serves 4.

8 comments:

Summer said...

This looks so delicious and tempting ♥

summerdaisycottage.blogspot.com

jmac said...

You are reading my mind today!!! I was literally looking at your slow cooker bourbon chicken recipe to decide if that's what I wanted to do for tonight....when this email came thru. It will be this one! I have a bag of rotisserie chicken already deboned in fridge that needs to be used and I think I have everything else in pantry...if not, I'll substitute!!! Thanks for solving my age old problem of ..."Ugh, what will I cook tonight??!"
And take it easy on the crazies...it's a coping mechanism that sometimes kicks us in the butt. But staying busy sure helps the days go by!!!!
hugs...

Linda said...

Good for you Pattie! I've done similar things with similar reactions. ;)
Your casserole looks delish.

thepaintedapron.com said...

Where there's a will there's a way! Weren't you smart to make the casserole first, a nice reward for all that hard work! I just love old fashioned casseroles like this, and people that are canned soup snobs are just crazy! Chicken, vegetables, good old cream of 'shroom soup and a crunchy topping, Perfect!!
Jenna

Edye Nicole said...

My family would love this! Thanks for sharing :)

Blessings,
Edye | Http://gracefulcoffee.wordpress.com

Unknown said...

Pattie- I love your determination! I too have that drive for wanting it done! I once hauled a TV up 2 flights of stairs and onto a dresser! I thought I was going to die! Good job for hanging in there!
The casserole looks heavenly!
Thanks for the recipe!
Michelle

aginglikeafinewine.com said...

The recipe looks soooo good. I love the idea of the crunchy ingredients and also using the rotisserie chicken. Now about the chair, I've done such things too, but wait for help next time! Your back will thank you!

Miz Helen said...

Congratulations!
Your recipe is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week. Enjoy your weekend and your new Red Plate!
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen