Chicken-Macaroni Casserole

ratherbeswimmin''s Note:

Southern Living: a simple homey casserole my kids like.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons butter or 3 tablespoons margarine, melted
• 2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 cup milk
• 3 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 2 1/2 cups cooked macaroni
• salt
• pepper
• 1/4 cup Ritz cracker crumbs

Directions:

1. In a large skillet over med-high heat, saute onions in butter until onions are tender.
2. Add in soup and 1 ½ cups cheese; gradually stir in milk.
3. Cook over medium heat until cheese melts; stir in chicken and macaroni; taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
4. Transfer mixture to a greased 2 ½ quart casserole; sprinkle with cracker crumbs.
5. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 30 minutes or until heated through.
6. Top with remaining ½ cup cheese and bake 5 minutes.

Reviews

[jravenel1]

Instead of using Ritz cracker topping, I used Pepperidge Farms Herb Stuffing Mix sprinkled on top. And lots more chicken, but no onion in the casserole. I stir fried zucchinni and onions on stove top and put on top of husbands serving. Yummy!

[tcshowboat]

Easy to throw together, tastes yummy, and kid friendly. I did make a few changes. I did not use onion, as my family does not really like them, but I used onion powder. I also used the meat from a rotisserie chicken. I threw in some garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika and a couple tablespoons of REAL bacon bits for extra flavor. Finally for the finishing touch, I added some French's Cheddar French Fried Onions to the Ritz crackers and cheese on top. (just a little to hide it from the kids but add a layer of flavor to the topping.)

[Rockamama]

Because I considered this a "basic" recipe that could be modified depending on your taste, I added a dash of curry powder and some leftover chopped boiled carrots for color and flavor. I also was out of macaroni, so I substituted flour tortillas, rolled and sliced to make "noodles". In this way, I was able to use up my leftovers, and the casserole turned out phenomental. Imagine the possibilities...