Comfort Food: Chicken Spaghetti

Here it is mid-week, and you may be needing a little comfort food. If you haven't had chicken spaghetti lately, it may be time to put it on the menu. 

Casseroles have been around for a long time, but, for many of us, they are most commonly associated with the 1950s. Once Campbell's started producing its "cream of" soups in 1934, casseroles gradually took on the form that we are most familiar with today.

There are many versions of chicken spaghetti out there, but this one is one of the best I've tasted. It's very flavorful, very cheesy, with just the right ratio of chicken to spaghetti to veggies to sauce. It's also kind of pretty, with the red pimentos and green peppers peeking out from under the layers of spaghetti and yellow cheese.

The "cream of" brothers

Top with cheese and bake

Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken)

16 oz. dry spaghetti, broken in half

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 cups shredded cheese (I used an Italian blend of mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, romano, and asiago cheeses. Use your favorite- cheddar, sharp cheddar, whatever you like.)

1/4 cup finely diced green pepper

1/4 cup finely diced onion

1 jar (4 oz) diced pimentos, drained

1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth

1/4 cup milk

Salt and pepper to taste (I did not add any salt- there seemed to be enough from the soups and broth)

1 cup additional shredded cheese for the top of the casserole (I used mild cheddar)


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook spaghetti in lightly salted boiling water until the spaghetti is just barely done (al dente) and drain. You don't want to overcook it- it's going to cook some more when you bake the casserole. In a large bowl, combine all the rest of the ingredients (except for the last 1 cup of cheese) until combined. Stir in the spaghetti and mix well. Pour into a greased 13 X 9 pan and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of cheese. 

Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until hot and bubbly and just starting to brown.

Time to eat!

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Chicken Spaghetti may have been shared at some of these fun parties!