March 1: Chicken-Noodle Casserole

Today seems like a good day for a casserole. I am tired and cranky, and my kid woke me up at 7. My back hurts. I have a lot of laundry to do.

And thusly, casserole sounds like just the thing--a comforting, honey one-pot meal that delivers everything I need in one scoop and leaves me with leftovers. I happen to have all of these things in the house right now. It's not fancy, it's not fussy, and it's not a lot of work.

If you were to want to make this even less work, you could use a rotisserie chicken from the deli, or leftover chicken you already had around the house. Also, I use reduced-sodium chicken broth in those aseptic cartons if I don't have my own homemade around the house. Also, reduced-fat cheese is a travesty, and I don't have any. Regular cheddar cheese is fine.

Serves six.

Chicken-Noodle Casserole

2/3 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
3 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried savory
3 tablespoons butter or stick margarine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
1 1/4 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
8 ounces wide egg noodles, cooked and drained

In a large nonstick skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink. Add the broth, carrots, celery and savory. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese until melted. Pour over chicken mixture. Add noodles; mix well.

Transfer to a 3-qt. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly.