Chicken Casserole

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                            FOOD FUNNY
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Here's a cute one from Rosemary Zwick:

Walter was sitting in the doctor's office for his annual physical, going
over a few fine points about his health with his doctor. The doctor
said, "Your blood pressure is a little high, Walter. You need to watch your diet and lose a little weight."

"But doc, I'm losing weight more and more each day."

"Oh, really? How are you doing it?" asked the doctor.

"Well, just six weeks ago, I'd eat lunch at 12:00 and have a snack
around 3:00. Just today, I had breakfast at 7:30, waited two hours, had
a snack at 9:30 and then I waited an hour and a half and ate lunch at
11:00. Then I waited 45 minutes and had a snack before coming here."

"And with this regiment, you're losing weight?" asked the doctor.

"Yeah," Walter said excitedly. "More meals and less wait!"

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                            TODAY'S RECIPE
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This recipe is adapted from James Beard's recipe called "Verna Ross's
Chicken Casserole." It was an old-fashioned favorite when originally published in 1972, and it still is today.

Chicken Casserole

1 onion, finely chopped
1 lb (450 g) mushrooms, chopped
4 Tbs (60 ml) butter
2 cups (500 ml) canned or frozen corn kernels
2 cup (500 ml) frozen peas
2 15-oz (425 g) cans Italian plum tomatoes
1 tsp (5 ml) dried oregano
The cooked meat of 1 chicken, removed from the bone and chopped into bite-size pieces
1 1/2 lbs (675 g) small pasta shells, cooked according to package directions and drained
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup (250 ml) bread crumbs
1/2 lb (225 g) shredded Cheddar cheese

Saute the onion and mushrooms in the butter in a large skillet over
moderate heat until tender but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the
corn, peas, tomatoes, and oregano and cook for 5 minutes, breaking up
the tomatoes with a wooden spatula. Add the chicken, pasta shells, salt,
and pepper and transfer to a greased baking dish. Top with the bread
crumbs and cheese and bake in a preheated 375F (190C) oven until the top
is golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Mon Aug 24 22:37:27 2009