Chicken Noodle Casserole

A number of weeks ago we were having typical winter weather here in NJ--cold, dark, and dreary.  Although, I must say, this weather has been relatively mild so far (knock on wood).  I wanted something to eat that would be warm and comforting--and something with leftovers that I could take to work.  I wanted some type of chicken noodle casserole but I couldn't find a recipe for exactly what I wanted.  So I kind of made one up as I went along.  It turned out pretty good!

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:
4 chicken breast tenderloins, grilled and diced
1 (14.5 oz) box thin spaghetti noodles (I like Ronzoni Smart Taste)
Olive Oil 
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (10 3/4 oz) Cream of Chicken soup
Milk (I used skim)
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons of butter, melted
1/3 cup bread crumbs

Directions:
1. Cook thin spaghetti noodles to al dente, according to directions.
2. Turn stovetop to medium high.  Drizzle olive oil to coat the bottom of a large saucepan.  Saute mushrooms, onion, and garlic until soft and cooked through.
3.  Add the can of Cream of Chicken and use the same can to measure out 1.5 to 2 cans of milk to add to the sauce pan to desired thickness.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

4.  In a small bowl, combine the melted butter and bread crumbs until the bread crumbs are moist.
5.  In a 9x13 baking dish, add noodles and top with chicken.

Pour sauce on top and mix it a little to make sure the sauce goes all the way through.

Top with bread crumbs.

6.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Chicken Pesto Pasta

We made this dish for dinner tonight.  It was quick (I made the pesto ahead of time), easy, delicious, and relatively healthy.  It's been very hot here, so I didn't want to stand in front of the stove for long.  We only had to turn on the stove to cook the chicken tenderloins and boil the water.  I didn't really measure the ingredients for the pesto, so I apologize for not having the exact measurements.  Here's the recipe for the dish:

Pesto 
Ingredients:
1 bunch of fresh basil, rinse and pat dry
2 cloves garlic
Small handful of walnuts (or pine nuts)
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:  In a food processor, add the basil, garlic, walnuts, parmesan, salt, and pepper.  Blend until everything is finely chopped.  While the food processor is still on, stream in the olive oil until it becomes the desired consistency. 

Chicken Pesto Pasta 
Ingredients:
4 chicken breast tenderloins
Salt
Pepper
Dried Basil
1 box Rotini whole-wheat pasta
Grape tomatoes

Directions:
1. Season the chicken breast tenderloins by sprinkling salt, pepper, and dried basil on each side.  Cook the tenderloins on a grill pan on medium high heat for 4-5 minutes on each side.  Remove from heat and let the meat rest for 5 minutes.  Then, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

2.  Boil the whole-wheat pasta according to the directions on the box.

3.  Mix together the pasta, pesto, chicken, and grape tomatoes until well combined.