Dottie's Chicken A La King

Dottie was my mom. I lost her before I was grown up and have come to know her through recipes she left behind. She was an amazing cook and as a kid, I ignorantly refused her offers to teach me. Since where we live has turned into Narnia, in honor of our latest snow storm here is one of my favorite comfort foods. It is also the go-to dish I make when bringing a meal to someone in need of a dinner. Oh, and of course I morphed this recipe but in my heart, it's still Mom's.

INGREDIENTS
1 pkg of Wide Egg Noodles
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 can Cream of Celery Soup
12 oz can Evaporated Milk
2 big pinches Kosher Salt
4 cups Cooked Chicken (*I like to use my leftover Panko Chicken)
2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 cup Slivered Almonds
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs

STEPS
1. Cook Egg Noodles al dente in large pot. Drain and place in large baking dish at least 11 x 13 in size.
2. Rinse out pot and add soups, milk, salt and celery. Heat through.
3. Chop chicken into cubes and add to pot. (* You can also use a cooked chicken from your grocer's deli)
4. Add cheese and stir frequently til mixed and melted. Pour over noodles in dish.
5. Sprinkle Bread Crumbs over top, then add the Almonds.
6. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes or til hot.

Spot gives this 3 paws because the sizzling on the stove is a tad worrisome, but does she ever like it when we toss her some chicken as we're chopping! Reheats really well as a leftover and can be split into two pans and frozen up to 6 weeks. Good, fast and filling.

Chicken Daniel (Divan)

Our son spent 10 weeks in Basic Training this summer and just about every letter we received listed the food he was missing (in addition to his family). The number one menu item he wanted to eat as soon as he got home was Chicken Daniel. A simple casserole I do with chicken or turkey leftovers... or when I don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Imagine, this is what he wanted FIRST after 10 weeks of tough training! Without further ado, here is my version...

INGREDIENTS:
- Enough turkey or chicken leftovers (already cooked) and cut into bite-sized pieces to layer in a 10x13 baking dish OR 1 grocery-store cooked chicken, meat pulled off the bone and skin removed OR 3 boneless chicken breasts, seasoned and baked and cut into pieces
- 1 pkg frozen broccoli, steamed in microwave for 5 minutes
- 1 jumbo can of Cream of Chicken Soup (or 1 1/2 small ones plus a small Cream of Celery)
- 2+ cups mayonaise
- the juice from 5 squeezed lemons
- 1 large onion, sauteed
- Kosher salt & ground pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Rice

STEPS:
1. Layer the steamed broccoli in the bottom of the large baking dish, followed by the chicken pieces. Be sure everything is covered.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the soup, mayonaise, sauteed onion, lemon juice with salt and pepper. Pour this over everything in the baking dish. Sprinkle with the cheese. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes, or til top is golden and cheese has melted.

3. While the casserole is baking, make the rice. We like to make our rice with two parts chicken broth to one part rice. Use a larger pot and cook on medium-low for 18 minutes (or so) with a wooden spoon propping up the lid. The rice is done when you see "pock marks" in the texture and the liquid has been absorbed.

Spot gives this 4 paws and for comfort food, so do we. I have even quinteppled this recipe and made it for a church youth gathering of 60. Yum city!