Chicken Noodle Casserole

When we went to my best friend's wedding two Saturdays ago, my dad and stepmom came over to watch Andrew while we were gone. To thank them, I made a chicken noodle casserole for them to have for dinner. Fortunately for Joe and me, they opted to order pizza instead, so we were able to have a lovely, hearty dinner the next evening.

This casserole is one of our favorites. While it's probably more suited for a winter meal, it was still nice to have something so warm and comforting for dinner. I found this recipe on a cooking website a few years ago, and since then I've made some changes to the original. They're in purple.

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Source: Meals.com

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 16-ounce package noodles (I use egg noodles, and I never use the entire package since they plump up so much. Half to three-quarters of a bag is usually enough.)
8 ounces process cheese (Velveeta, what else?)
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 small green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
2 cups crushed Corn Flakes (I use Ritz crackers instead)

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken and shred or chop. In large pan cook noodles (not quite done) and drain. I always cook the noodles in half water, half chicken broth.

2. In large pan, saute onion and peppers until onions are translucent and peppers are semi-soft. Mix in cheese and soups. When cheese is melted, add chicken and noodles. Pour into casserole dish. Top with corn flakes or Ritz crackers and dot with butter.

3. Bake in a 350° oven for 1 hour.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

It really is like crack!...I mean, not that I really know how addictive crack is -- but I've heard that the famous buffalo chicken dip is so addictive, it's been nicknamed "crack dip." This is another dish I made for the bachelorette party; it was my first time making it and tasting it, and I really couldn't get enough. This dip is absolutely legendary on the internet now, and rightfully so -- it's just delicious and tastes exactly like buffalo chicken wings! I've made it twice since the bachelorette party for my husband and me, and we just love it; it's so spicy and tangy and creamy. In fact, that's why the picture is so crappy -- I'm too busy eating it all up to stop and take a decent picture! I prefer this with tortilla chips instead of crackers.

Buffalo Chicken Dip
Source: All Recipes

2 10-ounce cans chunk chicken, drained
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup pepper sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Heat chicken and hot sauce over medium heat until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and Ranch dressing. Cook, stirring, until well-blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheddar cheese and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on low until hot and bubbly. (I cooked mine in a 350° oven for about 20 minutes instead of using the slow cooker, and it was just fine. This reheats very well!)

Spinach Artichoke Dip

I've been meaning to post the recipes from the bachelorette party I hosted for about a week now, but who knew a seven-week-old would need so much attention? Sheesh! Andrew has been wearing me out lately, but he's fast asleep now so I finally found myself with a few minutes to spare. Both of my blogs have been sorely neglected lately, but hopefully that'll change soon.


Anyway, the party went really well. I think the bride-to-be had a really great time, and I know she appreciated all the hard work I put in to make sure that happened! Turns out, I made way too much food, but that's okay -- she didn't mind the leftovers! Here's the spread:


One of my co-workers made a fantastic spinach artichoke dip for the baby shower they had for me at work, so I asked her to share the recipe with me so I could make it for the party. I have no idea if this is her recipe or if she got it from somewhere, but wherever it came from, one thing is for sure: It's wonderful. I love spinach artichoke dip, anyway, but this one is especially good. My changes to her recipe are in purple.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Source: Kristy

1/2 teaspoon garlic

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup cream cheese

1/2 mozzarella cheese

1 14-ounce can artichoke harts, drained and finely sliced

1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Mix all ingredients until well mixed.

2. Spoon into a 9-inch pie plate or quiche dish. Top with additional mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

3. Bake 20 minutes or until heated through.

Chicken Salad

I love chicken salad. Love, love, love it. And whenever I make it, I could literally eat three or four sandwiches at one time without thinking anything of it. I can't think of any sandwich that's more refreshing or more perfectly suited for the warm weather months. I made this for the bachelorette party I hosted two weekends ago and served it on mini slices of sourdough bread. It was a nice, light dish -- which is exactly the kind of thing you want to eat before a night of partying (and *ahem* heavy drinking), right?

Chicken Salad
Source: Cassie

1 package boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 to 3 cups Miracle Whip (add to desired creaminess)
4 celery ribs from the heart (leafy tops included), diced
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 small onion, finely diced or grated
2 handfuls seedless green grapes, halved

1. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper and bake in a 350° oven until no longer pink and juices run clear. Dice or shred chicken.

2. Combine all ingredients and serve over lettuce or on bread.

*Note: If you add the grapes to the chicken salad right away, be aware that it will only keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator. Because the grapes have such a high water content, they thin out the Miracle Whip pretty quickly. You could keep the grapes separate until you're ready to serve to avoid this issue.

Strawberry Lemonade

There are certain things that just scream summer to me: grilling, the smell of freshly-mown grass, lightning bugs, and lemonade. There is absolutely nothing I'd rather do on a summer evening than sit on my front porch watching the world go by and nursing a tall, ice-cold glass of freshly-squeezed lemonade. That's why, when I saw a recipe for strawberry lemonade on one of my favorite food blogs, Annie's Eats, my mouth immediately started watering. Strawberries and lemons are a match made in culinary heaven, and when you put them together in drinkable form, forget it: totally delicious.

I'm hosting a bachelorette party tomorrow evening, and I needed a special non-alcoholic beverage to serve in addition to the margaritas and champagne I have planned, since two of the attendees are pregnant. I thought this strawberry lemonade would be perfect. Luckily for me, the strawberries were absolutely beautiful at the grocery store: ruby red and plump and sweet and so, so juicy. I brewed a pitcher of the lemonade last night, and of course I had to have a glass for myself. The verdict: absolutely delicious, everything I was hoping for. It's sweeter than it is tart, and the strawberry flavor really shines through. I think this would be delicious with lime juice, too -- it would taste just like a strawberry margarita, minus the alcohol!

I hope the pregnant ladies enjoy this lemonade. I know when I was pregnant, I couldn't get enough of everything strawberry...so hopefully they're the same way.

(By the way, stay tuned for more recipes from the bachelorette party later in the week...including a very naughty take on Paula Deen's strawberry cake!)


Strawberry Lemonade
Source: Annie's Eats

For the lemonade:
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup very hot water
1 cup fresh lemon juice
4 1/2 cups cold water
1 recipe strawberry puree
sugar, lemon slices, fresh strawberries for garnish

For the strawberry puree:
1 dry pint fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon frsh lemon juice
2 tablespoons cold water

1. For the strawberry puree, blend the berries, sugar, lemon juice and water in a food processor or blender until smooth. Strain the mixture into a clean bowl and discard the seeds. Stir in additional sugar, if needed.

2. In a pitcher, combine the sugar and hot water and stir until the sugar has dissolved into a syrup. Stir in the lemon juice and cold water.

3. Add the strawberry puree and stir to combine.

4. Pour over ice into tall glasses rimmed with sugar. Garnish with fresh strawberries or lemon slices, if desired. Lemonade will keep at least three days in the refrigerator.