Super Bowl Casserole

I like to make a casserole or soup or some-such large-portioned, good-leftover meal on Sundays to make sure we have something to get us through the start of the week until I'm able to do full-fledged grocery shopping (which I prefer to do on Monday or Tuesday because I figure they're getting new, fresh stuff delivered then). So this past Sunday, I found this recipe in The Big Book of Chicken that used everything I already had on-hand. Love that. Eric classically calls these types of dishes "concoctions," but devours them nonetheless. I mean, what could be bad about cheese and noodles and chicken – oh, and more cheese? This was a tasty casserole that fit the bill perfectly for leftovers.

I was especially proud to use up leftover ingredients from our New Years Eve party, like red bell pepper and cream cheese and sour cream. I'll have to recap that menu later, as I cheffed it up for days and found some good new go-to appetizer recipes.

The cubed cooked chicken was even on-hand for this recipe. It is a freezer staple here. You see, even though I really like to cook, I don't always like to do it every single day and don't always like to tackle every step start-to-finish on the day-of. I'm a big fan of pre-prepping and am constantly experimenting with which things can be done in advance without impacting the final product negatively. So I frequently pre-poach chicken breasts, chop them, and store them in the freezer for just such "concoction" recipes. So easy.

I think I'll put together a post of freezer staples that I can use to keep a running list of good things to keep in the freezer. Good to remind me of when I am going to have a busy week and can do some pre-planning, pre-prepping. Also good to remind me to experiment with my freezer, even as small as it is. I'm definitely looking forward to the new house and the possibility of having a bonus freezer in the basement. How very Martha Stewart of me, eh?

One thing I've already learned about this food blogging – and I haven't even really begun, have I? – is that food photography is definitely an art and I am woefully unartistic in that arena. I'll have to read some other folks' blogs on how to take appetizing photos of food, since so far mine have looked pretty icky. I'm going to post them anyway, so that when I become a master of the lens, we'll all have a point of comparison. I probably should put some effort into learning a bit about plating as well, which would, in turn be aided by the revival of my window herb garden, no doubt. When we moved outside for summer, I let my indoor plants die off. Bummer. This casserole really could have used a smattering of chopped parsley to spruce it up. I should also really try to remember to take photos BEFORE we dig in. You'll see in many posts soon that I frequently forget that crucial sequencing. I could definitely benefit from this book on Digital Food Photography. Hint, hint, Eric.

Anyway, here's the recipe if you wanna try it:

Super Bowl Casserole

• 6 ounces egg noodles -- (about 4 cups), cooked according to package directions, drained
  
• 1 can tomato sauce -- 15 oz
  
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper – chopped
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  
• freshly ground pepper
  
• 1 cup cottage cheese
  
• 4 ounces cream cheese
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream
  
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
  
• 8 green onions -- including some tender green tops, sliced
  
• 2 cups cheddar cheese -- shredded
  

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
   
2. Put the cooked noodles in a lightly sprayed or oiled 2-quart casserole.
   
3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the tomato sauce, bell pepper, salt, basil, thyme, and pepper to taste, and simmer for 5 minutes.
   
4. In a food processor, puree the cottage cheese, cream cheese, and sour cream until smooth. Add the cheese mixture and the tomato mixture to the noodles and mix well.
   
5. Fold in the chicken and onions.
   
6. Sprinkle the Cheddar cheese on top.
   
7. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes.
   

SERVED: 1/3/10 (and 1/4/2010 as leftovers, but I made a nice green salad for a side)