Monday, May 07, 2012

Cheesy Turkey Pasta Casserole

This is a casserole my mother invented. I believe she just sort of got a bit of inspiration and threw all of the ingredients together one night. It turned into a delicious supper that she turns to when she needs something easy and foolproof, or needs leftovers for the next day. It is simply a mixture of chopped, cooked chicken or turkey, pasta (usually rotini, but penne also works well), mozzarella cheese, and pasta sauce.  It is a pasta sauce that reminds me a bit of lasagna, but it is quicker to make. My mom used turkey this time, because we had some leftover pieces that were already cooked on hand in the freezer. Normally though, my mom would use chicken breast. If we don't have any leftovers, she will pre-bake the chicken breasts before cutting them up and adding them to the casserole. The pasta is also pre-cooked, then drained, and the chicken, cheese, and sauce are added to the pot. The mixture is then placed into a casserole dish and sprinkled with more cheese. It is then covered with foil and baked until piping hot. This recipe has no real amounts, and it is easy to make as much as you need. If you need a lot, just cook a lot of pasta, use more chicken breasts, add some more cheese, and use two bottles of sauce. We have baked two casserole dishes full at once. You could also add something else to spice up the casserole a bit, the addition of chopped onion or peppers, a different kind of cheese, extra spices, or anything else you can think of would all be good. This dish is also very good as leftovers, it will keep in the refrigerator for a few days and it reheats well. The dish is a huge crowd-pleaser at our house. It would be nice served with a simple side salad and garlic bread, but it is even satisfying enough to be eaten as a meal alone.

No comments: