Chicken Spaghetti, Homemade Ranch with Iceberg Salad

We got our first shower gift yesterday which were a few of the Fiesta dishes that we had asked for - and we love them! So, we used them for the first time last night for dinner - aren't they pretty?!?! So, this dinner is just so tasty I wanted to devour the whole thing, which I didn't do. I will probably make this for the next family dinner we have - it's easy and feeds a lot. I will be freezing about half of it so we have a pre-made meal for a night when things are too hectic to cook. The rest will be for lunches. I replaced the pasta in the original recipe for whole wheat.

Chicken Spaghetti

Serves 8-10

ingredients

• 1 cut up whole chicken

• 1 lb thin spaghetti, broken into 2" pieces

• 4 oz jar  diced pimientos

• 1 small onion, finely diced

• 1/4 cup finely diced green bell pepper

• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup

• 2 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

• 1 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• Freshly Cracked Black Pepper, to taste

directions

1. Add the chicken to a stock pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes, until chicken is done. Remove chicken and set aside to cool. Reserve 2 cups of chicken broth, set aside. Bring the chicken broth to a boil, salt the water and cook the pasta 1 minute shy of the package directions. Drain and pour in a large mixing bowl.

2. Shred or pull apart the chicken into bite size pieces and place in large mixing bowl with pasta. Add the veggies, soup, broth, 2 cups of cheese, seasonings and mix well. Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Pour into a large buttered baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes until bubbly and the cheese is melty.

Homemade Ranch with Iceberg Salad

Dressing makes about 2 cups
 

ingredients

• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 cup mayo

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 1/2 cup buttermilk

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

• 1 Tbsp chopped chives or green onion

• 2 Tbsp chopped dill

• 1/2 tsp distilled white vinegar

• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Few dashes of hot sauce
• Iceberg lettuce

directions

Put all ingredients in a large jar that has a lid, close and shake like crazy until all ingredients are well combined. Place in fridge for at least 2 hours to let the flavors meld together.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Pioneer Woman.