Post 14 - Quick Casserole

When I was growing up, my mom had a bunch of quick recipes that relied on canned soup to make a fast casserole. The chicken and rice she used to make was one of my favorites. Now that I'm a mom and there is a lot more information out there about processed foods, I worry about everything that enters our mouths. One thing I especially worry about is sodium and all of the canned soups are LOADED with it. I came up with this fairly quick and easy casserole as something that can be made ahead of time and baked later, but is made from scratch with fresh ingredients.

Chicken Pot Pie Pasta (this made enough for two full meals)

• 6oz elbow pasta (cook and drain)
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/3 unbleached flour
• 1 cup organic milk
• Optional crumb topping: 1 tbsp breadcrumbs, 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 tbsp melted butter

First, cook and drain your pasta and set it aside. Next, place your diced carrots, celery, chicken, peas into a saucepan with the dried spices. Toss to coat. Add 2 cups chicken broth (more if needed to cover). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain the pot over a measuring cup or bowl to reserve the chicken broth. Mix the pasta, veggies, and chicken in your casserole dish.

To make the "sauce", melt the butter in the same saucepan. Add the onions and cook until soft over medium-low heat. Add the flour and stir until you have a thick paste-like goo. Allow butter/flour to cook for just 1 minute. Add the reserved broth and milk and whisk until sauce thickens.

Pour sauce over pasta mixture in the casserole dish and mix until well incorporated. If desired, sprinkle top with Parmesan bread crumbs. If baking right away, place (covered) in oven at 325 for 15 minutes. If storing in fridge to bake later, heat oven to 350 and bake for at least 30 minutes - consider adding an extra 1/4-1/2 cup of broth just before baking to prevent pasta from being too dry.