*Food Friday* Cluck Cluck Chicken

I miss living in the same city as a Costco. I miss everything about Costco. The samples. The copious quantities of items. The liters of alcohol. Mainly, though, I miss the cheap rotisserie chickens. The big juicy rotisserie chickens. Who knew that the ocean would drive the cost up three dollars and drive the size down? It's pretty much a conspiracy to get you to eat more seafood. Conspiracy I tell you.

It's pretty easy for me to sit here and extol the virtues of the rotisserie chicken. Fully cooked and ready to go, what isn't there to love about them? A meal in themselves, they are right up there with the fish that Jesus used to feed the five thousand in that you can usually stretch them out over the week. Chop some up add some mayo, BAM! Chicken salad. I use it in recipes to cheat. Anything that calls for cooked chicken. Call me lazy, just don't call me late for dinner.  I made this recipe as a way to get dinner on the table quickly for Monkey. And yes there's spinach again. I like to think of spinach as the tofu of the leafy green world. Plus, my baby's iron levels were way up at his one year appointment, so don't expect the spinach to be going anywhere. It's good for you! Eat it!

Chicken Baked Ziti

Printable Version

1 jar spaghetti sauce

1 cup frozen chopped spinach

1 cup cooked chicken

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 box whole wheat penne pasta

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare penne according to package directions. Cook spinach on medium heat in a small saucepan. Once heated through, add cooked chicken and spaghetti sauce. Combine with penne pasta and cheese. Place in ungreased 9x9 glass pan. Bake for 10-15 minute or until bubbling.

It's all going to end up on the floor anyway...

Easiest way to get a toddler to eat? Cover it in sauce. And cheese. Oh man, Monkey goes bananas (see what I did there?) when the parmesan cheese container comes out. He also really loves the tube noodles for the same reasons his father loves Bugles.

**Food Friday** This is How I Casse-role

By now you pretty much know I'm a third shift slave worker, which means I spend my days in bed and by the time I get up, Husband is coming home. Since our time together is limited, I've come to rely heavily on casseroles. This one in particular barely required any prep time, as I cook up a big batch of brown rice at the beginning of each week (for recipes such as this) and I had leftover rotisserie chicken. Really the most work I did was grating the cheese, perfect for waning midweek energy.





Mmmm cheese.



I've learned that casseroles are the perfect way to get Husband to eat his veggies. Still working on chunky tomatoes.

Tasted as good as it looks.

 Creamy Chicken Casserole

Printable Version
 

2 cups cooked chopped chicken

1 cup mixed veggies

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup cream of mushroom soup

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 Tbl fresh parsley

**I used frozen veggies that I first heated in hot water before I added them in.**

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix chicken, veggies, 1/2 of the cheese, cream of mushroom soup, rice and parsley. Pour mixture into a 9x9 glass dish sprayed with Pam. Top with remainder of cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

In case you're wondering, this is one of those few dishes that had Husband going back for seconds. Further proof that cheese is a miracle food.

So what was worth going back for seconds at your house this week?

**Food Friday** Whole Grain Chicken Noodle Soup

My first foray into domesticity was making my own chicken stock. I do it at least once a month using the leftovers from a rotisserie chicken that I've torn apart. It's the one things that makes me feel like, yes I can do this. What better way to use said chicken stock (and any leftover chicken) than to make some good ol' fashioned chicken noodle soup? And...drum roll please...it's my own recipe! Well I guess it is; it's pretty standard, but hey it's mine!

WHOLE GRAIN CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Printable Version

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrots

3/4 cup chopped onion

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1/3 box of Barilla 100% Whole Grain Penne

3 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups water

4 cloves minced garlic

1 Tbl fresh parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Bring broth and water to boil with veggies and garlic. Turn heat to low and simmer for ten minutes or until veggies are tender. Add chicken and parsley; heat thru. Add pasta and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until pasta is at desired doneness.

 

I love the penne (have been trying to work more whole grains in and as long as Husband doesn't complain, which he didn't because I'm not sure he even pays attention to what he puts in his mouth, I'll carry on) in this soup and it made up enough that I can take some to work and put some in the freezer to eat after a run in the rain (which so far, in the five weeks since I've started running again has been all of them). Maybe I'll eat some after my nap.

What's your favorite thing to use chicken broth in?

Leftovers at work

Enchiladas made easy: use leftover rotisserie chicken.