Freezer Cooking: Chicken Casserole

This next part was a big step in the freezer cooking process and one I'm still skeptical on.  I won't believe it'll turn out tasty until I recook it and see. This was my first attempt at making a casserole. (For freezer cooking. Not ever.) Again, as I've stated before, I was looking to utilize chicken I already had before it went bad. So, I decided on a casserole called...

CHICKEN & CHEESE NOODLE BAKE:

(I got this recipe off of www.tasteofhome.com)

Ingredients

• 1 package (16 ounces) spaghetti, broken
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 4 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken and mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

• Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, saute the onions and red peppers in butter until tender. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the chicken, soups, sour cream, celery salt and pepper.
• Drain spaghetti; add to sauce mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to two greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dishes. Sprinkle with cheeses. Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly.

To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly. Yield: 2 casseroles (6 servings each).  

First, start with all of your ingredients at hand.

  Luckily, my dad bought me a Dutch Oven last year as a gift. It really is important to have enough room to cook in your pot, pan, etc.

Next step, add flour to start to thicken it up.

And then milk to make a thick base.

Lastly, mix in the spaghetti (I had a mix of left over whole wheat and bleached, so I used it all up). Layer with your cheese mix, cover and store.


I didn't take a last picture, but after covering the casserole, make sure to list a date, temperature and cook time. Also, label what it is or you might end up baking the wrong casserole for dinner, if you make more than one kind. I portioned my casseroles, so we don't eat too much. Although, looking at these, they STILL seem like too much casserole. I'll send it to work with Chandler.


Stay tuned!