So I have told y’all about my dear friend Angie haven’t I? She has a precious daughter named Caroline who is the same age as my oldest. We love those girls and they are like a part of our insane family. Bless ’em. Anyway, Angie loves to cook just like me and always love a new delicious recipe. Getting them and giving them out. She is from Monroe, so her roots are different than mine and that keeps our recipes very diverse and allows us to cover a broad range of yummy dishes. The other day they came over and she mentioned she was making Caroline’s favorite chicken spaghetti. I asked her how it was different than the regular chicken spaghetti and she said to was a little lighter than what she usually made, meaning no heavy cream of soups. I was on top of that and asked her to shoot me the recipe ASAP. She did and I made it for supper last night. Boy was I glad I did. BD ate two servings and had to stop himself from having another. It was so good. He then proceeded to go outside in this muggy Louisiana weather and weed the flower beds. He says he could have never done that if I had made the other chicken spaghetti (which he loves). So it is country boy approved and around here I can be Cajun Mama all day long, but if it doesn’t please BD, I am not getting far. Yes I just reread that statement and realize I sound like my Momou talking about my grandfather…or Pa as she called him. So be it. Anyway, this recipe really is a lighter take on the regular chicken spaghetti I make and this version is as delicious if not more so. Now, my kiddos were not game for trying it but truthfully I usually make a kid friendly version for them when I make the other kind, so I need to figure out one with this one. They ate cereal and were just fine. No kiddos starving here I promise. 🙂
I hope y’all love this version just as much. The recipe came from the Tallulah Junior League cookbook called Brushy Bayou Recipes. It’s called Chicken Casserole V. Now y’all know those junior league cookbooks always have the best recipes. This one was published back in 1972, so the recipe needed a little updating so Angie and I both made a few slight changes to the recipe to bring it up to date. Give me your thoughts on it after you try it!!

now you know that’s a good cookbook

Caroline’s Favorite Chicken Spaghetti

Stuff you need~

1 box vermicelli (you can use spaghetti)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 rotisserie chicken, deboned and shredded or 4 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded (reserve water)
1 carton of chicken broth (I used reduced sodium)
1 jar of sliced mushrooms
2 (14.5 ounces) can of diced tomatoes
2 cups shredded cheddar

What to do with the stuff~

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
If you are boiling your own chicken, do that and then remove chicken breasts once it is done. Add chicken broth to that water, bring to a boil and cook your pasta. If you used a rotisserie chicken, then debone that sucker and just boil your pasta in the chicken broth. (Add water to the pot as needed to have enough liquid and reserve a little of the liquid after done boiling)
Ok, now in a skillet, add your olive oil and butter and warm over medium heat. Add your chopped veggies and sauté a few minutes until tender. Stir in the drained tomatoes and mushrooms. Cook over medium heat a few minutes. Now, I used a pasta scoop to add a little cooked pasta at a time to the pot. I used almost all of the pasta. Use a ladle to spoon in a little of the reserved broth. I found this helped the pasta to not dry out. Stir in your shredded chicken and then transfer to a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar over the pasta. Bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes until cheese is all melted and bubbly and the dish is warmed through.
Resist the urge to shove your face into the casserole dish. That melted cheese is really hot and eating straight out the casserole dish is considered “bad manners”. Use a plate please and enjoy!!!!!

an oldie but goodie