Chicken Noodle Casserole

For me, this is a play on an old favorite.  One of the first things I ever learned to make was chicken casserole.  You know, the one with the chicken, sour cream, and cream of chicken soup.  I have to thank my college roommate for teaching me how to make it- I had no idea how to even poach chicken!  I made that chicken casserole about once a week while Michael and I were in college.  We couldn't get enough of the stuff!  Needless to say, our palate has matured over the years.  But a couple of times a year, we take a walk down memory lane and have the plain and simple dish.

This Chicken Noodle Casserole was actually the recipe of the day on All Recipes.   I did make a few changes based on what I had on hand and some spices to make it more flavorful.  For years, I simply put boneless skinless chicken breasts in boiling water and let it simmer for 30 minutes.  Now I flavor my water with a few spices which really enriches the chicken flavor.

The case:
Ingredients:

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Cayenne Pepper
• 2 cream of mushroom soups (I use light)
• 1 cup light sour cream
• 6 oz egg noodles (I use the whole wheat)
• 1 sleeve Ritz crackers
• 3 T butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Bring enough water to cover chicken to a bowl add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.  Poach chicken for 30-35 minutes.  Remove chicken and shred.
3.  Cook pasta according to directions in water that chicken was boiled in.  You'll want it al dente since it will be cooked more in the oven.
4. Meanwhile, combine mushroom soups and sour cream.
5. Drain pasta and gently mix in shredded chicken.  Gently stir in soup mixture.
6. Place in 2 quart baking dish.  Crush crackers and toss with butter.  Sprinkle over casserole and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Ruling:
This was definitely a step above our old favorite.  A yummy comfort food for a cold day.   Ryder kept saying cheese as I was taking pictures of this dish, so I had to snap a few of him too!