One Pot Chicken Noodle Pasta

When my husband and I were first married, we went out to Buffalo, NY, where he sold security systems for the summer.  As a new wife, I was determined to make good, balanced meals for him, ready when he came home at the end of the day.  If you know anything about summer sales, you know that the time when your day ends is varied.  On average, my husband didn't get home until at least 6 (if he was lucky) and sometimes as late as 10 (not so lucky).  As much as I wanted to provide a good, hot meal for him, I realized that trying to plan a time to have dinner ready each night was pointless and it was better to have something that was easy to reheat that still tasted good.  I made some winning dishes and some that were not so great.  This dish actually started out as a casserole, but has evolved into an easy one-pot dish that takes about 20 minutes from start to finish.  There are some dishes that I come back to time and again when I'm doing my meal planning and this is one of them: one pot chicken noodle pasta.

Here's what you'll need:

I love that these ingredients are ones that I generally have on hand and won't break the bank.

To start out, grab a large pot.  You want it to be big enough to cook the noodles in, plus have space to add in the other ingredients without it spilling over the side.  Pour the noodles in and add water.  Cook until al dente.  If you overcook them, the result is slightly mushy noodles.

Drain the water and put the noodles back in the pan.

Turn the heat to a medium low and add the two cream soups (you could use two of the same cream soup if you want).  Add the chicken and stir until combined.  It will be thick, so add some milk.  I usually start with about 3/4 cup of milk and add more if needed.  The consistency should be creamy.

Then throw in the cheese, adding about 1 cup at a time and stirring until combined.  You may need to add more milk to get the desired consistency.

Lastly, season with pepper and onion salt.  (I also like to add a little bit of cajun seasoning called Slap Ya Mama.)

Serve hot and garnish with a little more cheese if desired.

One Pot Chicken Noodle Pasta

Ingredients: 

• 16-oz bag/box of noodles (I generally use bowtie)
• 1 10.5-oz can cream of chicken soup
• 1 10.5-oz can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 12.5-oz can chicken or 2 c. shredded chicken 
• 3/4-1 c. milk
• 3 c. shredded cheese
• pepper
• onion salt

Directions:

1.  Grab a large pot.  You want it to be big enough to cook the noodles in, plus have space to add in the other ingredients without it spilling over the side.  Pour the noodles in and add water.  Cook until al dente.  (If you overcook them, the result is slightly mushy noodles.)
2. Drain the water and put the noodles back in the pan.  
3. Turn the heat to a medium low and add the two cream soups (you could use two of the same cream soup if you want).  Add the chicken and stir until combined.  It will be thick, so add some milk.  I usually start with about 3/4 cup of milk and add more if needed.  The consistency should be creamy.
4. Add in the cheese, about 1 cup at a time and stirring until combined.  You may need to add more milk to get the desired consistency.
5. Lastly, season with pepper and onion salt to taste.
6. Serve hot and garnish with a little more cheese if desired.

What are your favorite one pot meals?