Boil Pasta

Today I'm sharing another link to a video.

Today's back to basics is how to boil pasta. The last time my mom was here we had a dispute in the proper way to boil noodles. So as always this isn't a set in stone way, just a suggestion.

http://www.realsimple.com/m/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniques/cooking/cook-pasta

Turkey, Broccoli and Noodle Buffet Casserole

Hello All!  Happy Thursday!  I sure hope everybody's week is going well!  Things here are crazy as always!  I am blessed to have family visiting so casseroles always comes to mind!  This one is delicious and simple.  Doesn't get much better than that!  Have a great rest of the week and I will see you on Saturday!  Oh yeah, sorry this recipe came from a cookbook I have by the name of Crazy for Casseroles by James Villas.  Thank you Mr. Villas :)

Turkey, Broccoli and Noodle Buffet Casserole

1/4 Cup (1/2 stick) butter

1/4 Cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and black pepper to taste

3.5 Cups of milk

1/2 pound sharp cheddar cheese shredded

8 ounces medium wide egg noodles, cooked according to package directions and drained

4 Cups diced cooked turkey

1 10 oz package frozen broccoli florets, cooked according to package directions and drained

1/2 Cup coursely chopped smoked almonds (I personally didn't use the smoked ones as my family and I aren't fans of things that are smoked)

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Butter a 2 quart casserole and set aside. 

 2.  In a medium size heavy saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat then add the flour, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste and stir for 2 minutes.  Gradually add the milk, stir constantly till thickened, and remove from the heat.  Add the cheese ,stir till it melts and set the sauce aside.

3.  Arrange the cooked noodles in the prepared casserole, layer the turkey over the top, then layer the broccoli over the turkey.  Pour the sauce evenly over all, sprinkle the almonds over the top and bake till bubbly about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole

Helllllllooooooooooo, blessed be the weekend! ;-).  Hope everyone is doing great.  I made this casserole for the first time for dinner last night and all my Asylum residents enjoyed, a lot!  We all went back for seconds.  I can only hope you are as lucky with it!  It calls for chicken breasts, I used two cans of chunk chicken in water.  I didn't have the thyme twig so I used dried. Enjoy the weekend!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole

6 oz (2.5 Cups) No Yolks Extra Broad Noodles
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms (2 Cups) I used cremini.
2 ribs celery, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 32 oz chicken broth
1 thyme sprig (I used a little over a teaspoon)
1 8 oz light cream cheese, softened
1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 1/2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cooked chicken breasts, chopped (about 2 Cups) I used canned

Topping:

1 Cup panko bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine topping ingredients and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400°.  Add olive oil to a 7 quart stock pot and saute mushrooms, celery, carrots, onions and garlic powder for 3-4 minutes over medium heat.  Add chicken broth and thyme sprig and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Add cream cheese, parmesan and noodles.  Stir until well blended.  Sprinkle flour over top of mixture.  Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken.  Fold in chicken.  Pour into a 3 quart casserole dish.  Sprinkle on reserved topping mixture.  Bake uncovered 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes.  Serves 6-8.


The standing at the end is important as it helps to thicken the sauce!  See ya next week!