The first time I ever had this dish, I was about 18, and working as a nanny at the time. On one particular day, the Mom told me we could have leftovers for lunch. I LOVED it, and went back for seconds, and probably even thirds! I've kept that meal in the back of mind, not knowing what it was called. But I kept my eyes open for a recipe that resembled it. I got the particular recipe from thepioneerwoman.com. I realized tonight that this is one of my go-to meals. I usually have all the ingredients, or something easily interchangable. I still love the leftovers for lunch, too!
Ingredients
2 cups Cooked Chicken
3 cups Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces
2 cans Cream Of Mushroom Soup
2 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese
¼ cups Finely Diced Green Pepper
¼ cups Finely Diced Onion
1 jar (4 Ounce) Diced Pimentos, Drained
2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot
1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
⅛ teaspoons (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1 cup Additional Grated Cheddar Cheese
Method
Cook spaghetti until al dente. Combine all ingredients, except for the additional 1 cup cheese, in a large bowl. Spray baking dish with nonstick spray. Pour mixture into the dish. Top with additional cheese. Cover with foil and place in 350* oven until cheese is almost melted, about 10 minutes. Remove foil, and cook a few more minutes until cheese is completly melted.
* I like to boil my chicken until it easily shreds. I like the chicken and spaghetti to be about the same shape, instead of chunks of chicken.
* I usually don't have pimentos on hand, it works fine. I've also added orange peppers, when I didn't have any green peppers. I also like to substitute cream of celery for extra flavor.
