Sunday, February 2, 2014

Chicken Spaghetti



 I got this recipe years ago from our friend Betsy on the 3R Ranch.  She made it on a Branding day that my hubby helped with….  and my hubby liked it so much, he asked for the recipe… for me …. so I could make it for him… and now I do.  This recipe is a little bit of a variation from the original,  because it leaves out the "Cream of" soups…. but doesn't loose any of the goodness in the process.  It is made with "real", wholesome ingredients that all just blend together into pure comfort food.


It  works great for a "Trim Healthy Mama" S meal if you use the right Spaghetti.  Dreamfields Pasta is my new food happiness because it is a low carb/starch pasta.  It tastes wonderful, and is compatible for THM eating.   So, weather you use whole wheat pasta, brown rice pasta, traditional pasta or Dreamfields Pasta,  I think your gonna love this recipe.


Place 1 nice healthy, organic chicken in a pot.

Add a handful of celery of onion and celery.

Fill with water and cook chicken 1- 1/12 hours or until the meat is beginning to fall off the bone.


Cool chicken, de-bone then chop and measure three cups of meat and set aside.
Meanwhile, strain the chicken broth into a clean stock pot.
Reserve some of the chicken broth for your sauce; you will need 1 cup.

Next, prepare all of your vegetables by chopping, measuring and setting aside.
1 cup mushrooms


1 cup onions.

3/4 cup green pepper.

1 4 oz jar pimentos.

  Bring your remaining chicken broth to a boil in the fresh stock pot.  Break the spaghetti in half and add to broth.


Boil spaghetti until slightly underdone.  Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the spaghetti from cooking any more.  Set aside.


In an extra large skillet or stock pot, melt 1 stick butter and add onion,  mushroom…..

green pepper….

and pimento.  Stir and saute until all vegetables are tender.


Add 2 tablespoons flour, stirring as you mix, to make a roux.

Add 1 1/2 cup cream, stirring mixture as you pour.  Next add 1 cup reserved chicken broth.

Add  2  14 oz cans of diced tomatoes.

Mix gently.  Add seasonings.

Add spaghetti;


Mix all together well.

Stir in  2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese.  

Add 3 cups of chicken.  Stir together well and put into one large lasagna pan, or 2 medium/small casserole pans.

Top with 1 1/2 cups cheese.

Bake at  350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until all is bubble and heated through.  I usually cover with foil for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and finish cooking.

Mmmmm good.


Chicken Spaghetti
This makes 1 large lasagna pan sized casserole (approximately 14x11) or two medium/small casserole pans (8x8 or 8x9)
Ingredients:

For Chicken:
  • 1 whole Chicken (you know I love a good organic chicken… what can I say?)
  • 1 small onion quartered
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 1 stockpot full of water


For the Casserole:
  • 3 cups Cooked Chicken
  • 1 16 oz package uncooked Spaghetti, Broken In half
  • 1 stick of butter 
  • 1 cup diced mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup Finely Diced Green Pepper
  • 1 cup Finely Diced Onion
  • 2 Tablespoons  flour (whole wheat is fine) 
  • 1 1/2 cups cream or half and half 
  • 2 1/2 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese
  • 1 jar (4 Ounce) Diced Pimentos, Drained
  • 2  15 oz can diced tomatoes (or one 15 oz can of tomato sauce)
  • 1  cup reserved chicken broth From pot
  • 1/8 teaspoon (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper (optional)
  • Salt And Pepper, to taste
  • 1 1/2 cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese



If you are not fond of tomato chunks in your casserole (I have one picky eater that feels this way), here is what the sauce looks like if you use tomato sauce instead of diced tomatoes. It is really good this way as well.  It is creamy and a little tomatoey; but more creamy than tomatoey.







To Freeze
I like to cook up 2 chickens at a time, and then double or triple the recipe, freezing a couple extra meals for the freezer, and freezing any extra chicken in ziplocks for a quick meal or two.  For this recipe,  I cooked two chickens and was able to put a couple of meals in the freezer for when Elizabeth and Winston get here, next week,  send one over to Steve's Mom, and make a large pan for tomorrow, as well as freeze some extra chicken meat, and chicken broth for later.  Undercook the pasta when you are going to freeze it, so that it does not get too soft when defrosted and cooked in the oven.  Defrost in the refrigerator the night or morning before cooking, then follow instructions as usual.



Enjoy and have a blessed Sunday everyone.

8 comments:

  1. Oh yum!! I have a similar recipe that is always a big hit. I am going to try yours though. I've been reading everything I can get my hands on about THM, but I'm not quite ready to try it -- yet. Soon though, maybe :o).

    I think I'll make this recipe this week. It sounds and looks like wonderful comfort food! Your photos are amazing by the way!

    Blessings!
    Deborah

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  2. Yum looks delish!! ~Love Heather

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  3. This looks delicious, Pam.
    Thanks for sharing! Blessings :-)

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  4. Hello Pam, Now are you sitting down?
    Can I use can chicken?
    I know I am gonna run right outside and ask my hens or maybe one of your hens, Hey, are you organic?
    I wrote the name of that past down, looking forward to trying it!
    Those Broncos went BUST. Hubby always is Mr. Positive and he says well at least they got to the Super Bowl.
    Yummy Yummy is all I have to say;
    I just pulled a Wacky Cake out of the oven. I tell you about how it turned out, as I used some good flours and tweaked the sugars.
    Okay, this may be my longest comment yet!!
    Blessings, Have a wonderful Week! Roxy

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  5. I am drooling MOM! And your pictures are sooooo beautiful and clearly state how delicious this recipe is! I love that you can eat this with the Trim Healthy Mama plan! I need to check out that pasta!

    Been thinking about you all weekend. We went down to Orlando yesterday and had to pack a small over night bag and it made me realize that I am less than a week away from being with you!! I need to get things ready already! Hehe!!

    Cannot wait to catch up... I love you Mom!

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  6. I've been wanting to try this since you first posted it. Well, tonight's the night! I just printed it out, have my chicken defrosting, and am ready. I can't wait. :)

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  7. I am glad you're going to give it a try Davene, I look forward to hearing how everyone likes it.

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  8. This looks AMAZING! Could you make me some, please??

    You have Clayton's approval too! His mouth was watering looking at all those pictures....

    Love ya,
    Amy

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