As a recent addition to that hip and trendy new rage called "unemployment" (all the cool kids are doing it) I have recently found myself either too busy to even eat a Clif bar, or with so little to do my whole day revolves around what I will make for dinner. Which isn't really that different from before since I've always looked forward to a meal!
*If you're curious how the freelancing is going, let's just say: Best - Decision - Ever
One of the first dishes I made as a new wife was this classic chicken and macaroni casserole. It was delicious, inexpensive, and made plenty of leftovers. To this day I still make it, but morphed it into a super-casserole! It includes controversial ingredients such as Campbell's cream-of-whatever soups, pre-made pastas, buttery bread crumbs, and frozen vegetables. Oh the horror, I know!!! Hey, I grilled my own chicken breast. That should get me some nutritious points, right? It's a great dish to make when I have nothing but time one day knowing I won't have any time for many, many months to come... or at least a few days.
Good ole' chicken casserole with tortellini
Package of fresh tortellini*
1 can cream of chicken*
1 can cream of mushroom
3/4 cup of milk
2 cups italian cheese, such as mozzarella
2 cups frozen veggies, such as carrots and green beans
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
3/4 cup crushed Ritz crackers*
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
*I buy the large package of Buitoni, mixed cheese, since it's two different pasta colors to make it pretty.
*For this batch I used two cans of cream of chicken, instead of one of each since that's what I had in the pantry. Campbell's has a cream of chicken with herbs for extra flavor. You really can use what ever flavor you like, but that's the best combo that I've found.
*I ran out of Ritz crackers, so I used store brand bread crumbs. But this really is a must, try not to substitute. The salty, buttery crackers make the best crust in my opinion.
Preheat oven to 425. Grill the chicken. About 6 minutes per side. Let cool.
Boil a large pot of salted water, big enough to fit all the veggies and pasta (to save on cleaning too many dishes). Spray the edges of your casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. This also helps with cleaning the dish later. Add the frozen veggies to the boiling water. Allow the water to boil again and add the pasta. Let it boil for 75% of the recommended time. Mine was 8 minutes, so I boiled for 6 minutes. The pasta will cook a little longer in the oven so this helps it to not become mushy.
Mix the soups, milk, italian cheese, and seasonings together in the casserole dish.
Chop up the chicken in bite size pieces and add to the soup mixture.
Strain the pasta and veggies, and add to the soup mixture, too.
For the topping, mix the crushed crackers or bread crumbs/butter with the parmesan cheese. Sprinkle evenly over the top.
Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and bubbly.
And it reheats in the microwave just fine!
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