Chicken Spaghetti

 So, this week we're shaing a Family Favorite:

   Chicken Spaghetti    

We have been making this recipe for years and it has become the #1 requested dish.

It's simple and can be made as a quick meal for a few, or double up on the ingredients and it’s ready for company or a great potluck dish guaranteed to come home an empty pan. 
This recipe, with a few extra noodles, serves my family of 2 grown boys, 1 husband, two younger children and me, with a little for the fridge.  It used to feed my entire family of 9 when the 7 kids were all younger and all living at home. 

You will need: 

• 1  lg (12.4 oz) can chunk chicken (preferred) or;   2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded - save the water to boil the noodles
• 1  8 oz pkg spaghetti noodles  (Note: you can add about 2-3 additional servings of spaghetti noodles to this recipe as it is, before you need to double up on the soup mixture. It starts to get a little dry after that.)
• 2  cups chicken broth (we use 2 tsp chicken base in a scant 2 cups hot water)
• 1  can Cream of Chicken soup
• 1  can Cheddar Cheese soup (can substitute Nacho Cheese, Cheese and Broccoli, etc.)
• 1  8 oz. sour cream
•  shredded cheese (your choice; we like cheddar or cheddar mixture) 

Preheat oven to 350º F  

If you are using fresh chicken breasts, add a small amount of salt to a pot of water, add chicken breasts and boil until fully cooked; about 20 min. Remove chicken from water and cool; cut up or shred and set aside.  Don't throw out the water; you can reuse it to boil the noodles.

Cook your noodles according to the instructions on the package and drain.  

If you are using chunk chicken from a can (we like to call it chicken tuna), boil the noodles, drain and return them to the pot.  Open the can of chicken and drain the juice over the noodles and stir to coat; it has some good chicken flavor that adds to the whole dish.  Break up the chicken pieces and set aside to mix with next ingredients. 

In a separate bowl, stir together the prepared chicken broth, soups, and sour cream; add shredded chicken and mix well.  Combine soup mixture with cooked spaghetti and stir until the noodles are well coated.

Pour everything into a 9x13 pan and sprinkle with shredded cheese; cover with foil and place in the oven for approx. 20 min.  Remove foil and bake an additional 5 minutes, until the edges bubble and the cheese is melted.  Remove and serve; my husband likes to sprinkle bread crumbs over his own at this point.  I like it with a green salad on the side. 

Hope you enjoy!   

The photo isn't very colorful, but it does show what it should look like