Tasty Tuesday ~ Chicken Noodle Casserole

Okay, I know that I am missing a photo......You see, I was nice enough to "let" Tom take the camera on his 3-day trip to DC the week before last. So when I made this dish I literally couldn't take a picture of it. And since I was sick all last week, there was NO cooking going on in this house! So there you have it, a photo-less recipe entry. It pretty much looked like your normal, everyday chicken casserole, but it sure was yummy!

CHICKEN NOODLE CASSEROLE

Ingredients:
2/3 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
3 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried savory, thyme, or basil
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
1 1/4 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
8 ounces wide egg noodles or spaghetti, cooked and drained

How to Make It:
1) In a large nonstick skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink. Add the broth, carrots, celery and savory. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2) Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese until melted. Pour over chicken mixture. Add noodles; mix well.
3) Transfer to a 3-qt. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly.

Instead of just carrots I used a couple scoops of those always-in-our-freezer organic mixed veggies (carrots, green beans, peas, and corn). The only other alteration I would make next time is to add more cheese in the sauce and/or on the top before baking. You can't go wrong with more cheese!