Old Fashioned Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

(from Mommy's Kitchen)

5-6 chicken breasts or 1 whole chicken fryer
1 - 12 oz package spaghetti noodles
1 - 16 oz (1 lb) package velveeta cheese, cubed
1 - 10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 - 14 oz can chicken broth or 2 cups reserved broth
1 - stick margarine (1/2 Cup)
1 - 8oz package shredded mild or sharp cheddar cheese
1 - small onion, chopped
3-4 celery ribs, chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
black olives, sliced (optional)

Fill a big stock pot with water. Clean and rinse whole fryer or chicken pieces. Add chicken to your pot of water, I also add a little Lawrys Season Salt & Poultry Seasoning while the chicken cooks but that's optional. Wash hands after handling chicken. Turn stove to high and let chicken come to a boil. Once chicken comes to a rolling boil, turn heat down and simmer chicken until done. For a whole fryer about 2 hours. For chicken breasts or pieces 45-50 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and place on a plate to cool. Drain and reserve broth in cooking pot. Cook spaghetti noodles per package directions, but instead adding the spaghetti to water cook the spaghettin in the reserved chicken broth that you cooked the chicken in. Add spaghetti noodles and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer noodles until al dente. While spaghetti noodles are cooking start deboning the chicken (make sure it is cool enough to handle) or break chicken breasts to smaller pieces if just using breasts. Chop up the vegetables, melt the margarine in a small skillet. Add the vegetables and saute until cooked and translucent in color. Drain spaghetti noodles and set aside. (Reserve 2 cups chicken broth if not using canned broth.) In a large bowl combine cubed velveeta cheese, chicken broth and cream of chicken soup. Place in microwave and cook on low for a about 5-7 minutes or until mixture is smooth and cheese is melted. To the cheese mixture add cooked vegetables with butter, spaghetti noodles and chicken pieces. Stir to combine. Spray a 9x 13 inch Casserole dish with cooking spray and add combined mixture to greased dish. Finally top finished casserole with 8oz of shredded cheddar cheese and add a few sliced black olive's on top (not pictured) the black olives are optional. Put Casserole in a preheated 350 oven and bake for about 45 minutes until cheese is golden brown and casserole is bubbly. Remove from oven let cool and serve.


Note: If a 9 x 13 inch pan is to big for you family then you can make (2) 8x8 pans serve one for dinner and freeze the second one for a quick meal another night. To freeze cover the whole unbaked casserole with plastic wrap then cover with foil twice, date and freeze. When you want to cook the casserole, remove from oven, completely defrost and proceed with baking directions.