Chicken Spaghetti

Chicken Spaghetti: what it lacks in appearance it makes up for on taste!

Chicken Spaghetti is what I consider comfort food. When the main ingredients of a casserole are spaghetti noodles and cheese - what's not to love?

As I was looking through Mom's recipe box, I knew immediately that Chicken Spaghetti would be a perfect choice for my first recipe post. While I honestly don't remember having Chicken Spaghetti until I was an adult, it still holds fond memories for me. Right after Mia was born, Mom made a pan of this for us and it was love at first bite. Now every time I have this casserole, it reminds me of Mom and her generous spirit...and that too is a comfort to me.

This really is one of those dishes that is perfect to make for others - whether they just had a baby, are
going through a hard time or you just want to share a meal with them. Chicken Spaghetti is my go-to casserole that I've made for several friends and families after Mom introduced it to me.

If you want to make it a complete meal, I recommend pairing it with a green salad and garlic bread. (Hint: if you make this casserole to give to a friend, include the recipe because I"m sure they'll be asking for it!)

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

1 med green pepper - chopped
1 med onion - chopped
1 pod garlic
1 can undiluted cream of chicken soup
1 can undiluted cream of mushroom soup
1 box of spaghetti (1 lb)
6 chicken breasts boiled and diced
1 small can pimento
1/2 lb velveeta cheese
1/2 lb cheddar cheese

Simmer pepper, onion and garlic in chicken soup until tender. Add mushroom soup.
Cook spaghetti in chicken broth (left from boiling chicken).
Combine all ingredients, except cheddar cheese. Allow the velveeta cheese to melt into the mixture. Put in 9x13 pan. Then put cheddar cheese on top. Head at 325 degrees until good and melted - approx 20 min. May be frozen. Serves 10 people easily.

Welcome to Cooking with Mom Blog

I'm sure you are familiar with the concept of smells being linked to our memories. In fact, scientists have conducted numerous studies that prove smells can trigger more vivid and emotional memories then images. Certain smells can transport us to a specific time, place and even conjure up definite feelings. 

Well, for me, I feel that same connection to specific memories through food. The mere mention of Texas Chocolate sheet cake and I'm sitting at my parent's dining room table, getting ready to blow out birthday candles, my mouth watering in anticipation of digging into the scrumptious chocolate cake. Or when I think of egg nog, all of a sudden it's Christmas Eve, and I'm sipping (or chugging) egg nog in my parent's kitchen and chowing down on cookies before we begin our gift exchange ritual. 

Quite honestly, many of favorite memories involve food. And as a self-proclaimed "eater" I love that certain meals, casseroles, side dishes, desserts and even drinks bring me joy and serve as a gateway to my past. 

When my Mom passed away unexpectedly, I knew I wanted a way to not only pay tribute to her but also somehow involve my daughters. And that's when the idea of Cooking with Mom was born. My plan is to pick my Mom's favorites recipes and then make each of them - with my girls helping me out in the kitchen. Through these recipes and cooking together, I hope to connect my girls with my Mom in a special way. 

This blog has been in my heart and in my head for quite awhile. I'm not sure what exactly has been holding me back on pulling the trigger- perhaps a mixture of fear and self-doubt (will I be able to stick with this? what if this doesn't turn out the way I envision it? what if my girls don't want to participate) along with a dose of wanting to write the perfect prose to kick off the blog. 

But then today it struck me. If I'm going to do it, wouldn't Mother's Day be the perfect day to begin? 

So here we are. I'm launching this little blog in tribute of my wonderful Mom. I hope you join me on this journey.

Disclaimer: the recipes I am featuring on this blog are ones I'm pulling from my Mom's recipe box, church cookbooks or recipes she passed down to me. In most instances I do not know the original source. I am not claiming that my Mom created these recipes - just that these are ones that are important to me and ones that I want to pass on to my daughters.