Jackson Jambalaya

I was raised in the 'sprinkled' Methodist Church and became a 'dunked under the water' Baptist before marrying my 'Baptist from the cradle' wife. I sometimes miss the Liturgical, Apostle's Creed, and the good old hymns John Wesley wrote for the Methodist hymnal in the 1780s as he rode his horse from one circuit church to the next. One thing the Baptists have over most other faiths is they know how to throw a great covered-dish supper! One of my favorite sights is to look down the table as I am waiting patiently for the slowpokes ahead of me in the line to fill their plates with grub is a nice casserole filled to the top with Chicken Spaghetti down the line smiling at me.

Actually, the wife and I got married almost 52 years ago on December 18th, 1971, which to be accurate rolls over from 51 to 52 years only four days from typing this (if she keeps me that much longer). 

Like an old tomcat that can't be broken from clawing her favorite chair, she has dropped me off on the side of the road, more than once, somewhere far away from home, but I always show back up a day or two later and walk back inside, looking for my feeding bowl when she hears a scratching noise outside and opens the kitchen door. 

Ok, that is a lie, and I shouldn't be putting hints into her head about the 50 ways to leave her lover. 

Here is a great covered dish casserole that is an old favorite. You can make the plain version I show here, or fancy it up, if you belong to a fancy-smancy congregation. As a long ago converted Baptist, I like this just as much when cooked at home as from a Casserole dish placed on the serving table just after the Jello salad, followed by the vegetables and before the bread and dessert on a covered dish line. You know, just where to find it. It is usually right where I say, just before the fried chicken roast beef with gravy and rice, and sliced country ham. 

Here is a simple version, with the options you can add to fancy it up as much as you like mentioned. I guess you need to know, I am so old I remember covered dish experiences before the coming of the BR age (Before Rotel), However, I roll with all of the advances we have made - Satellites orbiting the earth, Men walking on the moon (Yes, I am one of the idiots who believe we actually went there and didn't film it on a set constructed in Hanger 28 at Wright Patterson Air Force Base), I also remember cars not equipped with ringing chimes to tell you that you didn't fasten your seatbelt yet, and the first can of Rotel I mixed with Velveeta..

Enough Drivel. Let's get to business.

Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients:

- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
- 1 pound spaghetti, broken into 2 inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups Velveeta cheese
- 1/3 cup diced red bell pepper, diced
- 1 Tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Chicken Paste
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 can Cream of Chicken soup
- 1 can Mild Rotel Tomatoes

Popular optional ingredients:

- 1 small jar pimentos, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1/2 cup white mushrooms, sliced and sautéed in butter
- Green onions, diced for serving

Directions:

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

- Dice the Velveeta into 1/2 inch cubes. I know Velveeta isn't really real cheese, but I like how creamy it is when melted. Use shredded cheddar, gouda, or Mississippi State Edam if you like.

- If using canned chicken, which works fine, drain any liquid into the pan that will be used to cook the bell pepper, then shred chicken.

- Sauté the bell pepper (with onions, mushrooms and pimento peppers if using them) in 2 Tablespoons of butter, and liquid from the drained chicken can. In a separate pan, mix the Better than Bouillon paste. in the water you will use to cook the pasta.

- Cook the spaghetti in salted better than bouillon water until al dente. Do not overcook.

- Mix all of the ingredients (Shredded chicken, chicken and mushroon soup, green peppers, and rotel) in the pan you used to sauté the peppers.

  

- Add the cheese/Velveeta

- Then mix in the cooked spaghetti. It should be slightly wet, so you might stir in 1/4 cup or less of the water used to cook the spaghetti, only if needed. It shouldn't be slopy wet, just nice and moist.

- Place the mixture in a casserole pan (if you like, you can top it with another half cup of shredded cheese (this might be cheese overkill). As you can see, I used three containers, (one larger casserole and two smaller foil freezable pans) I froze the aluminum pans for later enjoyment. For a covered dish at church, just use one large dish since your uncle Luther will eat a Captain Jack sized serving and the Preacher's feelings might get hurt if he waits until the end (as a lesson in demonstrating a Christlike manor) and gets left out.

- Bake the dish, covered) in a 350 preheated oven until bubbly, about 45 minutes. Remove the lid for the last 15 minutes.

- I Like mine with butter toasted bread, because there is no way this won't be a high calory meal and calorie overkill seems reasonable.

• If sealed airtight for freezing, the dish should keep frozen for up to 6 months. Reheat in oven or microwave on a rainy cold night.