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.

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This post is linked to: Inspire Me Tuesday, Tuesdays At Our Home, Two Cup Tuesday, Tutorials and Tips Tuesday, Homemaking Party Tuesday, Wow Us Wednesday, Work It Wednesday, Wine’d Down Wednesday, Wake up Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday,  Thursday Favorite Things, Share Your Style, Coffee and Conversation, and Foodie Friday & Everything Else