Chicken casserole

Chicken poppyseed

I usually stay away from chicken salad because I always think folks will get it from someone else, but not long ago, I went ahead and made chicken salad sandwiches. Cut them in half and loaded them into a foil container with a moist paper towel on top of them and the plastic top of the foil casserole. These folks got a lot of food, but no chicken salad. They loved the sandwiches. They ate them before the services, when they got home and for supper. They wouldn't put them out for the folks who came by after the funeral because they wanted them for themselves. Family members kept stealing away to the kitchen to grab them from the fridge. It was somewhat bizarre, but I was glad they appreciated them.

You could make a chicken and white bean chili. Recipe in the TD recipe book.

Chicken spaghetti would work, as well.

Made this last night, very good and easy.One pot chicken, rice And artichoke

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I remember my Mom making chicken divan casserole years ago. Probably a junior league cookbook recipe, but it was pretty good. Here's a recipe which also has freezer/defrost/cooking instructions.

LINK

This is also a Southern funerary favorite
Cheesy Chicken and Spaghetti Casserole

Ingredients
•1 (12 ounce) package of angel hair, thin vermicelli or very thin spaghetti noodles
•3 cups of chopped, cooked chicken
•1/4 cup of finely minced onion
•1 small garlic clove, minced fine
•1 tablespoon of butter
•1 (10.75 ounce) can of condensed cream of chicken soup (like Campbell's)
•1 (14.5 ounce) can of diced tomatoes, undrained
•1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, or to taste
•1/4 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
•2 cups of chicken stock or broth
•2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then generously salt. Break noodles into thirds, and cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse; set aside.

Saute the onion and garlic in butter. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the cream of chicken soup, diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, and chicken stock; stir in 1 cup of the cheese. Add the chicken and noodles, mix well, taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Turn out into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with half of the remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly. Last 5 minutes of cooking, uncover, top with the remaining cheese and return to the oven uncovered, just until cheese has melted.

Tex-Mex Chicken Spaghetti: Add 2 teaspoons chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon each of paprika, cumin, coriander and Creole or Cajun seasoning. Substitute one (10 ounce) can of Rotel diced tomatoes, undrained for the regular diced tomatoes, omit the cream soup and substitute one (10 ounce) enchilada sauce plus one (8 ounce) tomato sauce, or a cup of your favorite salsa.

Cook's Notes: One pound of Velveeta cheese, cubed, may be substituted, although reserve some for the top. If you are boiling a fresh chicken to make this dish, reserve the broth to boil the pasta. Add-ins ideas include one small jar of chopped pimentos, drained, one small carton of mushrooms, chopped, and chopped green bell pepper, sauteed with the onion and garlic. May also use Rotel in the regular version. For a skillet meal, prepare as above, stirring in the cooked spaghetti. Top with cheese, cover and let rest until cheese has melted.

Next time I make this, I'm gonna add smoked tasso to the recipe, to give it a Cajun kick.