Easy meal- yum

This meal is pretty easy to prepare, and it's really delicious. If you're a fan of "one dish/ pot/ pan" meals, than this is the one for you. I am a big fan as it has the same elements I love about a good chopped salad- many tastes in one bite.

It's from the Bet.ter Homes and Gar.dens One-Pan publication.

Chicken Supreme Casserole

Prep: 25 mins
Bake: 30 mins
Stand: 10 mins
Oven: 350 degrees

Ingredients
8 ounces dried rotini pasta (I used the Bar.illa high protein/ Omega 3 pasta discussed in a previous post)
1 16 ounce package frozen stir fry vegetables (they suggest broccoli, carrots, onions, red peppers, celery, water chestnuts, mushrooms)- I had to put 2 packs of frozen together and get a can of water chestnuts to get the flavors I liked
2 10.75 ounce cans condensed cream of chicken soup (I used some organic soup in this initially and it was a little runny, I think it turns out better with a thicker creamy paste.)
2 cups milk
1/4 cup mayo or salad dressing
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups chopped cooked chicken, about 10 ounces (I was low on time and cheated and bought some pre-cooked Chicken, it helps to save some time if you need it)
2 cups cubed French bread
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
2 tablespoons garlic powder
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions (Cook chicken if you need to first...)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions (make sure it's in a pot with extra space- I learned this one the hard way.) Add the stir fry vegetables for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together soup, milk, mayo, and the 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Once complete, stir in the pasta/ veggie mixure as well as the chicken.
3. Spoon mixture into an ungreased 3-quart rectangular baking (13x9 usually) dish. (Note: for me I didn't use all of the sauce in the bowl, I thought it would have been too much for my taste. It still turned out great.) In a medium bowl, toss bread cubes with melted butter and garlic powder; sprinkle over pasta mixture.
4. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes or heated through and bread cubes are golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper to paste. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Sorry I don't have a photo for you, but it's creamy and full of all sorts of tasty goodness. The bread cubes add a nice, tasty crunch. I highly recommend this one!

Note- if you are really watching your waistline, this may not be the recipe for you. There are 584 calories per serving. But there is about 28 g of protein per serving and could be more if you add the protein-y pasta in to meal. Sodium by far the biggest problem, whenever using canned products. But you can select and try a condensed soup that works for you and your dietary needs. And also, I added some sodium in by using precooked chicken.