Easy Chicken Pasta Casserole - Chicken Tetrazzini

Chicken Tetrazzini

Casserole dishes are hearty and simple to make using ingredients from your pantry. Filled with chicken, pasta and canned soup, this is a family favorite. It's quick and economical.

My mother-in-law perfected the art of stretching a food budget. When it came to making economical, hearty and quick meals for her family, she was the queen. You'll need an oven proof casserole and about 30 minutes.

Using these few ingredients, here's the recipe for a casserole that has stood the test of time. I hope you'll try it out.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Package of Spaghetti (8 oz.) Or elbow macaroni, Rigatoni, shells, etc.
• 1 Cup of Canned Cooked Chicken (or use leftovers from a rotisserie style chicken)
• 1 Can of Creamed Chicken Soup
• 1/2 can milk or broth
• 1/2 to 1 Cup Shredded Cheese
• 1 Sleeve of Ritz Crackers (or crushed potato chips or other crackers) Crushed
• 2 Tablespoons of Butter for the top of the crust

Instructions:

1. Cook the spaghetti according to the directions until it's firm, not mushy, around 9 minutes once the water comes to a boil.
2. Drain the pasta and pour it back into the warm pan.
3. Pour in half a cup of milk; add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Stir the mushroom soup into the cooked spaghetti
5. Add half a can of water.
6. Add the cooked chicken and stir gently.
7. Pour the combination into a greased, oven-proof casserole dish
8. Grate some cheddar cheese over the top or use prepared shredded cheese.
9. Top with a layer of crushed Ritz Crackers and dot the surface with butter.
10. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees about 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Hot and Delicious!

The dish can be made with any pasta your family likes, Rotini, rigatoni, spaghetti or elbow macaroni. No matter what type of pasta you choose, the dish turns out delicious.

Any type of milk is fine to use: regular, two-percent, skim or fat-free. You can substitute chicken stock or evaporated milk with a little water added. 

Instead of mushroom soup, you can use cream of celery soup, cream of broccoli or cheese soup.

For a little color, I like to add about 1/4 cup of frozen green peas or carrots into the mixture before pouring it into the casserole dish to bake. You can spice it up as desired with garlic, onion salt, celery pieces, mushrooms or by adding a variety of leftover veggies.

Served with a cup of fresh fruit or a small salad, this makes a filling, economical meal.