When I plan a meal, one of the most difficult things can be deciding what to serve with it to make it complete. Since we operate on a pretty budget friendly meal plan to save money, we usually serve whatever fresh or frozen veggies we have on hand. However, I still think its always nice to find a recipe with some unique serving ideas and side combinations.

Chickenetti

A family favorite meal at our house is chickenetti. The kids like it because its tasty, mom likes it because it has hidden veggies, dad likes it because its hearty—its a win all!

I always like to serve as many colors of the rainbow as I can, so I served this meal with fresh strawberries and spinach, as well as a little poppy seed dressing (or I’ll grab some raspberry vineagrette from the fridge if I’m short on time).

by Kathy

Category Dinner Recipes Simple Meals

Chickenetti with Strawberry Spinach Salad

Ingredients

2 cups chicken (cooked)
3 cups dry spaghetti (broken in 2" pieces)
2 cans cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom)
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
1/4 cup diced green pepper
1/4 cup diced onion
1 jar (4oz) diced pimentos (drained)
2 cups chicken broth (reserve from the pot)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (grated)

Instructions

Break the spaghetti in small two inch pieces.
Cook spaghetti in chicken broth until al dente.
Drain the spaghetti and then add remaining ingredients (except additional cheddar cheese).
Place the mixture in a 13x9 casserole pan.
Top with additional sharp cheddar cheese.
Cover and freeze or bake immediately at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. (I like to cover mine with foil towards the end so the cheese doesn't get too brown.)

Double It, Then Freeze It!

This meal is also very easy to double or triple. There is nothing more that I love, than to fill a few extra pans and pop them in the freezer. It is so satisfying to know that I then have 2-3 extra meals on hand for the month ahead!

(I like to grab a bunch of these 9×9 aluminum foil pans to have on hand for freezer meals like this—they are the perfect size to fit in the freezer and have enough to feed our family.)