Vegetarian Chicken* Spaghetti

Our oldest came home for Christmas leave yesterday and brought with him one of his military friends who needed to spend the night before moving on with his own travels home.  They arrived long after my husband and I were in bed and they were hungry, apparently.  The spaghetti leftovers were gone!

This recipe has been a favorite of all my guys for several years.  It's just good comfort food.  One of these days, I'm going to try it with homemade cream of mushroom instead of canned soup though.  Also, this is vegetarian for us because I use a chicken substitute (Beyond Meat is amazing!) and chicken-less broth (Better Than Bouillon).

3 TBSP olive oil
1 lb. chicken breasts or substitute

6c chicken broth or water

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder 

1/4 c red bell pepper, chopped

1/4c green bell pepper, chopped

1/2c mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2c onion, chopped

1 (10.75oz.) can cream of mushroom soup

3/4c dry white wine

2c Cheddar cheese, shredded

8oz. spaghetti

1/4c Parmesan cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. In large skillet, heat 1 TBSP oil  and cook chicken, seasoning with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste.  Remove chicken, shred it, and set aside.

3. Place spaghetti in a pot of boiling water and cook until it reaches al dente consistency, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.

4. In large skillet, heat remaining 2 TBSP oil over medium high heat.  Add green peppers, red peppers, mushrooms, garlic, and onion. Saute until slightly tender, about 3-4 minutes.

5. In large mixing bowl, combine sautéed vegetables, cooked spaghetti, cooked chicken, white wine, and 1 1/2c Cheddar cheese.

6. Pour into prepared 9”x13” pan.  Bake, covered, for 30 minutes.

7. Uncover and top with remaining 1/2c Cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese. Return to oven and continue baking, uncovered, another 15 minutes.

                                    

Served with a simple mixed greens salad.