May 12, 2010

Chicken Asparagus Bake

"For-a-Crowd" Recipes, Asparagus, casserole, chicken, convenience foods, pasta

Presented by

34 ratings

Prep time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12
Partner: Herb French Bread

Grandma always looked for ways to include colorful and healthful vegetables in her casseroles.

Ingredients

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped asparagus, thawed
8 ounces egg noodles
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of asparagus soup
2 large eggs
8 ounces ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken

Directions

1

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 13 3 9-inch baking dish and set aside. Drain asparagus; set aside.
2

Cook egg noodles according to package direction. Drain and set aside.
3

Heat vegetable oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add chopped bell pepper, chopped onion and garlic; cook and stir until vegetables are crisp-tender.
4

Mix condensed soup, eggs, ricotta and 1 cup Cheddar in large bowl until well blended. Add onion mixture, chicken, asparagus and noodles; mix well.
5

Spread mixture evenly in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 cup Cheddar.
6

Bake casserole until center is set and cheese is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with red bell pepper strips and fresh Italian parsley, if desired.

Grandma's Secret Trick

Grandma preferred to hand-chop vegetables so she'd get nice, even pieces. To chop the bell peppers, she first cut the pepper into quarters. Then she stacked the quarter pieces into one pile, cut them lengthwise into strips and, finally, widthwise into a small dice.