Whats for dinner again?

Tonite was a crazy night because I hadn't planned anything, and I truly hate that. The Steelers are losing, and deserve to be because they are playing like crap. The first seven points they got were a gift from the Ravens, certainly not earned in any way. So this puts me in 'a mood'.

I started to muttle around the kitchen, scrambling for ideas. Me with no dinner plan is just a nightmare. Usually we end up ordering out because I can never get it together in time.

Today, we can not eat out because funds are tight til payday (due to Christmas over-spending). Plus, Mike is home for dinner since he worked the day shift and so I want to have a nice family dinner at the table !

I started to search allrecipes.com for a solution to my problem. One hang up that I always encounter when doing this is that I almost never have chicken broth or campbells soup on hand. i have to make a mental note to get them at the store, just to have them on hand for nights like this.

So, I did an advanced search with some things I did have on hand, and this is what we made. It was pretty good considering it was last minute and I was limited. I would make it again, but I might use colby jack cheese, less flour (for sure!) and ground pepper instead of white.

Chicken Noodle Casserole
PREP TIME 20 Min
COOK TIME 15 Min
READY IN 35 Min
SERVINGS & SCALING
Original recipe yield: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS
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

DIRECTIONS
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.