Winter/Potluck/New Baby/Picky Kid Chicken Noodle Casserole
A little good news from kitchen of Sweet B! I found a casserole recipe that's easy to make, healthy enough, and serves many purposes. It satisfies a wintertime hot food craving, it's easy to make with a few basic ingredients, kids will eat it, and it's great to take around to whomever has just had a new baby and you're in charge of the obligatory casserole delivery. Got a potluck coming up? Here's your contribution. And last, if you are experiencing morning sickness every ticking second of the day, this recipe may be simple and tasty enough not to revolt you.
As I await the arrival of my third child, I also await the attraction to food once again. Trying to cook anything much less healthy well-rounded meals at the same time as finding food revolting is very very very hard. Dad's been in charge in the kitchen, and there's only so much pizza, hot dogs, and Chinese takeout kids will/can eat. The guilt is overwhelming and not only that, but now that their food repertoire has shrunk so much for so long, my kids have begun to suffer the most dreaded of mealtime conditions: Pickiness! Well, it's hard for any kid to argue with a "spaghetti noodle and potato chip casserole." Clever titles carry you a long way, no?
I laughed out loud when I read some of the "old school" recipes in a small-Midwest-town-Dutch-church- ladies cookbook from mid-late last century. Made with mayonnaise and topped with potato chips and cheese? Remember those? My tongue tingled with anticipation (who doesn't love those?) but my brain was suddenly able to compute sodium levels and the lack of vegetables. But, oh well. A recipe is as healthy as its ingredients, right?, and so you can make even those old school ones with all low-sodium, organic groceries from Whole Foods. And, as always, substitute any of your own ingredients to make it truly your own.
Here's a casserole starter kit that can be left alone or embellished at your whim. It's from a chapter called "Casseroles That Please." I hope you enjoy it. (I'm sorry if the word "mayonnaise" earlier made any of the preggies out there flee for the rest room.)
Satisfying Chicken Casserole
Ingredients:
1-1/2 inch thick handful of cooked narrow noodles (I used fresh, organic spaghetti)
1 bone-in, skin-on organic chicken breast, poached in generously salted water and cut into small chunks
1 rib organic celery, diced smallish
small handful of slivered almonds
2 tsp. organic onions, minced
1/2 cup mayonnaise (c'mon, it's just a little bit)
1 can organic cream of mushroom soup
3 T organic milk or cream
small handful of frozen organic green peas
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups disgustingly unhealthy and unorganic delicious potato chips, crushed
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Use an ungreased 2-qt. casserole. Mix all the ingredients except potato chips. Place in casserole, top with potato chips and bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until bubbly. If potato chips are darkening too much, cover with foil towards the end.
Professional Notes:
Do not use more than what's called for in onions and celery. Unless you REALLY REALLY love onions and celery. Because the cooking/warming time is so short, the onions and celery maintain a really bright, raw flavor. It will be too oniony if you use more than that. It seems paltry, I know, but trust me. As far as salt and pepper, use generous amounts of salt in the water for poaching chicken and boiling noodles. Then, when you've mixed everything together, but before the p. chips, taste it for salt. If you need some, add some at that point. Remember, though, that the potato chips will add lots of salt, too. Last, use cheese in your topping, or bread crumbs, or whatever you choose. And throw in some pureed veggies. I didn't have the energy, but I know they'd be fine in here and the kids would never notice them. And because it's a recipe from Sweet B, don't forget to throw in some ground flax meal for brain-loving Omega-3s.
--Sweet B
low fat chicken recipes on March 01, 2009 at 06:34 AM
A beautiful website with great pictures. Thank you
Healthy Low Fat Recipes on March 26, 2009 at 03:15 PM
Its so hard to find healthy recipes and I am all about eating healthy. I cannot wait to show off this recipe to all my friends and family. Thank you so much for sharing.