Mushroom Chicken Deluxe

I was flipping through my "Taste of Home's Casserole Cookbook" because I love a casserole in case you haven't already noticed. And I found this recipe which I thought would be a little different from the ones I usually cook, and so I tried it out. My fam loved it and I have to say, it was different, sort of like a chicken lasagna. It was really good and creamy, packed with mushrooms and chicken and noodles.

Mushroom Chicken Deluxe

1 to 1 and 1/2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion chopped (I had to use dried minced)
1/2 cup chopped green pepper (which I didn't have and didn't use but I know it would have been good)
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1 can cream of chicken soup undiluted
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped pimentos (didn't use, because we don't like them)
1/4 tsp dried basil
8 oz spiral pasta cooked and drained
2 cups small curd cottage cheese
6 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese divided
3 cups cubed chicken


First, I cooked my chicken (I always buy the chicken tenders for casseroles, they are more tender and easier to shred) in a sort of sauce pan with a little bit of olive oil. I seasoned them with Cavendar's greek seasoning, but you can use whatever you like. When they were done, I pulled them out and set them aside. (I cubed them in the sauce pan and then took them out)

Next, I started boiling the spiral noodles. I cooked them according to package directions.

While noodles were boiling, I took the mushrooms and onion and sauted them in the butter (you'd put peppers in here too if you used them). Once tender, I added the cream of chicken soup , milk and basil to the mushroom mix - you'd also add pimentos here if you used them.

Then in a separate boil mix cottage cheese, cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.

In a 9x13 greased pan, layer first the spiral noodles, on top of that put the cheese mixture. On top of the cheese mixture, layer the cubed chicken and then pour the mushroom sauce over chicken. Sprinkle remaining parmesan over it all and bake it at 350 until it's bubbly.

It really was good and it was good for left overs too. It used more pans then I'm use to using (I hate doing dishes) but none of it was hard to do. If you took the time and boiled the noodles before cooking the chicken, you could get away with using one pot and one bowl to mix the cheese in - and then of course the casserole dish.

Easy Reuben Sandwich and Comfort Food - Poppy Seed Chicken

I don't know about you, but I LOVE a Reuben sandwich. Except, I only love it homemade, I never really seem to like it when I get one from a restaurant. (I imagine they don't put near enough cheese or dressing on it ;-) ) And they can be so messy to make. So when I was flipping through a cookbook that my Aunt Nancy got for me called "A Cookbook of Favorite Recipes compiled by staff and residents of the Greenville Convalescent Home, and ran across the recipe "Open Faced Reuben Sandwiches" I knew I had to try it. I was so glad that I did!

Open Faced Reuben Sandwiches

1 12 oz can corned beef
1 16 oz jar sauerkraut well drained
Thousand Island Dressing (it says 1/2 c., but I use however much I want to!)
1/4 tbsp pepper
1 tbsp bacon bits (I don't use)
8 slices of Swiss cheese
8 slices of Rye or whatever bread you like your Reuben on, I like just wheat bread buttered really well.

Break up the corned beef with a fork until crumbly, add sauerkraut and next 3 ingredients stirring well. Spread mixture on 8 slices of toast and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. (I don't toast my bread before I put it in the oven and it holds up great, but you do what you like).
Cut slices of swiss cheese in half and place 2 strips on each sandwich. Bake 5 minutes more or until cheese melts.

Sometimes I don't mix the ingredients, I just layer them how I want to and I save the thousand island for last - I pour it on top of the cheese once it's melted. But, again, it's easy to do what you think you'd like to do. I hope you enjoy!




Now, for poppy seed chicken. My kids love this stuff, and so does my company when they've driven a long way or had a long day. It's super easy to make, and you just about can't go wrong with it.

Poppy Seed Chicken

3 to 4 boiled and shredded chicken breasts
16 oz sour cream
1 can of cream of mushroom or chicken
1 roll of ritz crackers
butter
poppy seeds
rice or noodles (I always put this mixture over rice, but you can do either)

Add to the boiled and shredded chicken breasts the sour cream and cream of mushroom or chicken and stir it up well.
Crumble the ritz crackers and melt butter to pour on top of them. Spread the chicken mixture into a greased casserole dish and put the buttered and crumbled ritz crackers on top, then sprinkle about a tbsp or so of poppy seeds on top of that. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve on top of rice or noodles. Enjoy!!!