An Ode to Chicken Pot Pie.

     Is there anyone out there like me who doesn't like chicken pot pie? I think it's something about the use of Veg-All, I hated that stuff. There's something about cooked and canned carrots that is SO unappealing. I'm not knocking canned vegetables, I do love the convenience of them, but I do not like Veg-All! Whew, now...I also don't like all the crust that a chicken pot pie, the filling makes the crusts kind of soggy- not for me. I also like chicken noodle casserole, so I thought, "What could be better than combining the two?!" (without Veg-All, of course).
     Yesterday was a little chilly and was rainy and dreary, so it was the perfect day for my creation! Feel free to use any other vegetables that you prefer. Also, I do not like cooked carrots very much, but LOVE the flavor they give, so I dice mine VERY fine, you can leave them as big as you like. Think of this as a crustless chicken pot pie, with noodles! What doesn't taste good with noodles?!

Chicken Noodle Casserole
Yields: 4-5 servings

2½ cups egg noodles, uncooked
2 8 oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 rib celery, diced
1 small carrot, finely diced
½ medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1½ tsp. soy sauce
1 10.5 oz. can cream of chicken soup
1 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt

Optional toppings: French fried onions, crushed saltine crackers, goldfish crackers, etc.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Boil the egg noodles according to package directions, drain and reserve. Add the chicken to a small skillet over medium heat; cook until no longer pink. Reserve in a medium bowl. Add butter to the same skillet and use the melted butter to deglaze the pan removing all brown bits. Once melted, add the celery, carrot, and onion. Saute over medium-low heat for 7-8 minutes, or until vegetables are tender-crisp. Stir in garlic and cook for about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in soy sauce and cook for 30 seconds. Pour into the bowl with the reserved chicken, combine. In a small bowl, combine the cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, pepper, and salt. If you think the mixture is a little thick, add 1 tbsp. of water at a time until you reach the desired consistency. In the baking dish, combine the noodles, chicken and vegetable mixture, and the soup mixture until thoroughly mixed. Bake in oven for 20 minutes, remove and if toppings are desired, add and place back in oven for 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 5
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 259.4

• Total Fat: 9.5 g
• Cholesterol: 81.9 mg
• Sodium: 722.1 mg
• Total Carbs: 21.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.4 g
• Protein: 23.1 g