My First Go with Chicken Spaghetti

Everyone I know in Texas has enjoyed the deliciousness of Chicken Spaghetti. The only problem is, I try my best not to eat canned soups at all and most recipes call for both cream of mushroom and cream of chicken. So I looked around and found a recipe without cream soups and tried it out for the first time tonight. It was a success in my house and because there are only two of us I was able to split the recipe in half and freeze enough for next week's meals. yay me! :)

Anyway..here's the recipe..Enjoy!

Chicken Spaghetti
*recipe adapted from The Meaning of Pie

1   pound cooked shredded chicken
¾  cup chopped onions
2   cups chopped vegetables (red, yellow, and green bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, celery)
1   garlic clove, chopped
4   Tablespoons butter
¼  cup all purpose flour
1-½ cans (14.5 ounce cans) of low sodium chicken broth
½  cup Half & Half
8   oz. of shredded cheddar cheese (about 6 in the dish, and 2 for the topping)
10 oz. spaghetti noodles, cooked al dente and drained
½  cup buttered Panko crumbs
4   oz. canned chopped green chiles
1   tomato, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

First, season and cook the chicken. I use Johnny’s Seasoning Salt, but a little salt and pepper is fine, instead. Pan grill the chicken (or cook in a non-stick skillet) until cooked through. Allow the chicken to rest for at least 10 minutes and then chop it up into small pieces.

Melt the butter in a large sauté pan - like major large. When the butter has melted, add all of the chopped vegetables, onion and garlic and sauté until tender. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook for another minute or two, stirring constantly. Add the chicken broth and continue to stir until a thick sauce has formed. Add the half & half and stir until combined. Add the chopped tomatoes, green chiles and 6 ounces of the cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted. Add the chopped chicken and stir. Now, taste this sauce and add salt and pepper. It will need it. We have used low sodium broth and we are not using canned cream soups which typically add a lot of sodium. You will need to season at this point. Seriously, taste it.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in boiling water until al dente and then drain the spaghetti.If you have room in the sauté pan, add the noodles. I usually end up transferring the sauce to the emptied noodle pot and then add the noodles back in with the sauce. Regardless, add the noodles to the sauce and stir to incorporate the sauce and vegetables into the noodles. This takes a little doing, but keep stirring or re-arranging with tongs until the vegetables and chicken are well distributed. Transfer the Chicken Spaghetti to a casserole dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.

In a small bowl, combine 1 Tablespoon of melted butter and ½ cup of Panko crumbs. Season with seasoning salt, or regular salt. Distribute the remaining cheddar cheese on top of the chicken spaghetti and then sprinkle the Panko on top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 25 to 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Allow the casserole to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

i used boneless skinless thighs and breasts for a little more flavor.

i picked a ton of different veggies and this was the size of the dice. it worked perfectly for the casserole.

this is after adding the flour, this is the thickness level before adding the half and half. should just coat the back of a spoon.

after adding the half and half and the cheese is melted in.

topped with cheese and panko.

the finished product. i ended up turning on the broiler for a nice golden finish. super crunchy on top! so delicious!