Best Casserole EVER

I have made this casserole four or five times, and it never fails to be absolutely delicious. Everyone should have this recipe in their recipe book, so here it is!

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

First thing you need to do is put a pot of water on the stove to boil.  Add about six chicken breasts to the water and bring to a boil - let the chicken boil for a few minutes, then reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer for 30 minutes.

While your chicken is boiling, go ahead and cut up your green pepper, onions, and pimentos. I always buy my pimentos diced, so all you have to do is drain them. (Also, finding pimentos in the grocery store is always the the most challenging item to locate.  They are in a different location each time I go, so it takes me and Lucas about 15 minutes to find them.)

I usually just add all of my diced things together in a bowl.  Also, I absolutely cannot chop onions without me bawling my eyes out, so I usually have Lucas chop them while I go lay on the bed.

Next, take your spaghetti and break it into two inch pieces.  You need about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of this, so I normally just pack it into this little measuring cup and call it good.



Now that all of your things are chopped up, go ahead and kick back and relax until your chicken is ready.  Once it is, go ahead and remove the chicken from the pot but DO NOT DRAIN THE WATER.  After the chicken is removed, go ahead and turn the stove back to high to get the water boiling again.  Meanwhile, take about a cup of the water from the pot and set it aside (and you have yourself some nice homemade chicken broth).

Once the water is boiling, add the spaghetti to the water (cooking it in the chicken broth water gives it a nice taste).  Let it cook until it is just a little crunch left (because you will be baking it in the oven also, so if you overcook it now it will just be a soggy mess at the end.).  Strain your noodles and shred your chicken into nice little bite sized pieces.

Put your noodles into a large bowl.



Add your chicken into the noddles.



Next, go ahead and add your two cans of cream of chicken soup, your onions, your green peppers, and your pimentos.



Next, add the seasoning salt, the cayenne pepper, black pepper, and 1 cup of the sharp cheddar cheese.



Go ahead and start stirring the mixture together.  To make stirring easier, add the cup of the chicken broth mixture you pulled out of your pot into the mixture.  You don't want it soupy, just wet enough that it stirs easily.

At this point, take a nice big taste test.  Sometimes it needs more salt or pepper, or maybe you want to add a little extra cayenne for spice.  Just make sure you like the seasonings! (At this point, I really have to stop myself from just digging in right then and there, it tastes so good.)

Add this to any casserole dish.  I normally just use a baking pan, but anything will work.



 Once you have it spread out, add another cup of sharp cheddar cheese on top.




Now you can freeze this meal for up to six months if you would like to, or stick it in the fridge and eat it within the next few days, OR you can just bake it right then (which is what I usually do.)

Bake it in the oven uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, or until the cheese on top starts to get a bit crunchy.  Pull it out, eat, and ENJOY.

 And trust me, you will enjoy this. :)

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

2 cups Cooked Chicken
3 cups Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces
2 cans Cream Of Chicken Soup
2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup Finely Diced Green Pepper
1/4 cup Finely Diced Onion
1 jar (4 Ounce) Diced Pimentos, Drained
2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot
1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
1/8 teaspoon (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper
Salt And Pepper, to taste

Add chicken to large pot of water, boil for a few minutes and let simmer for 30 minutes.  Chop up green peppers, onions, and pimentos.  Break noodles into 2 inch pieces, enough for 3 cups worth of noodles.  Once chicken is done boiling, get a cup of the chicken broth from the pot.  Put heat back on high, and cook noodles until they are barely crunchy.

Shred your chicken.  After noodles are cooked, add noodles, chicken, onions, green peppers, pimentos, your Lawry's salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, cream of chicken soup, and cup of chicken broth into a large bowl.  Mix until well combined.

Add to a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 

I originally got this recipe from this website http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/chicken_spaghet/, but I made a few minor variations that I think make it a bit tastier!