Ingredients
1 fryer chicken
2 cans Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup
2 cups Kraft grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely diced green pepper
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1-4 oz jar diced pimentos, drained
3 cups dry Barilla spaghetti, broken into two-inch pieces
2 cups reserved chicken broth from pot
1 teaspoon Nature’s seasons Season salt
1/8 teaspoon McCormick cayenne pepper (just a shake or two)
Morton salt & pepper to taste
1 additional cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
Rinse chicken well. Place into a large stockpot, cover with water and bring to a rolling boil. Boil for about 20 minutes, then turn down temp and simmer the chicken for about 30 minutes.
Remove chicken from broth, and reserve 2 cups of cooking broth in a measuring cup or bowl.
Pick chicken from bones, discarding most fat and skin. You’ll need 2 cups of the chicken meat. You should now have a pot with broth in it, 2 cups of broth in a cup and 2 cups of shredded up chicken meat.
Place your broken up spaghetti pieces into the broth pot and cook until it’s just al-dente. You DON’T want to over cook your noodles here.
Drain the al-dente noodles and place into a large mixing bowl. Add shredded chicken, seasonings, 2 cups shredded cheddar, veggies, pimiento, broth, soups.
Pour everything into a buttered casserole dish. I like to use a 2 1/2 quart glass pyrex, but whatever you have that fits will work.
To make ahead: You can make this dish ahead of time and refrigerate for up to three days, before preparing!
Top with remaining 1 cup cheese. Cover with foil tightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until bubbly. Remove foil and let top brown for a few minutes. Serve and enjoy!!
To freeze: Cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat: Take out of the freezer and place in fridge for 24 hours before baking. Bake as directed.
This is one of the most amazing dishes to prepare/freeze ahead of time. I like to make two of these and freeze one. I figure, “Hey–since I’m boiling a chicken anyway…” Plus—the flavors meld if you freeze/prepare ahead. Try this one. You’ll get rave reviews!!
