Poodle N' Noodles

This recipe is in response to a fan request. No, I don't have fans, but Poodle N' Noodles does.

Poodle N’ Noodles Casserole

Stuff:
About two cups cooked chicken, cut into small, bite-sized pieces
(this would be two boneless, skinless, breasts or three large thighs. Be sure to cook before you dice and add to dish, it makes a BIG difference in texture. Also good use for leftovers)
Two cups bite-sized cooked veggies – your choice.
( I use mostly frozen ones I zap in the microwave before mixing in. ordinary “Mixed veggies” are the standard.
1 can cream of Chicken soup
½ cup sour cream
1 cup chicken stock
About 10oz (my way of saying ‘most of a 12 oz bag, but not all of it’) wide ‘no yolk’ noodles cooked as on the bag to the not-quite-done stage(not the broad ones, they are too fat and break up too much)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Season to taste – I use a few grinds of black pepper and a couple of tablespoons of Penzeys Fox Point or Parisian Bonne Herbes Seasoning. You can either go to www.penzeys.com and get some, or use any sweet herb blend for Chicken that you like.

How To:
Mix chicken, noodles, and veggies in a large mixing bowl. Mix soup, sour cream, cheese, chicken stock and seasonings in another bowl until well blended. Pour soup mixture over chicken/noodle mixture and gently mix. This should be slightly soupy and well covered with the soup mixture, if it isn’t you can add some milk – or more sour cream. I usually have to add some, a glug or two. Turn the casserole out into a baking dish and top with the cracker crumb topping. Bake for about 45 minutes (if the chicken and noodles were already hot) or about an hour (if your ingredients are cold) at 350*

Topping:
In a quart zip-loc crush together a three inch stack of crackers, or the same amount of cheezits or anything like that you have around that has gone a bit stale, ½ cup of cheddar cheese, 1 tsp of onion powder, and a bit more of the seasoning used in the dish – use more of everything if you like lots of crunchy stuff on top.


Variations:
Use fresh mushrooms and a can of cream of Celery soup in place of the Veggies and the sour cream.
Replace sour cream with a can of cream of cheddar, or left-over Alfredo sauce for a very cheesy casserole
Add white wine instead of chicken stock
Dish also works with Turkey, and different cheeses. (also works without cheese.)
a can of finely chopped water chestnuts adds a nice crunchy texture

Note:
This is all guessing as to how much of stuff. I never measure anything unless I'm baking - breads and cakes let you know if you've screwed up, casseroles are very forgiving. ~M.E.