My Mama's Super Yummy Chicken Casserole

Chicken Casserole has always been a comfort food for me. Mi madre made it all the time for my brother and me when we were growing up. Ever since I've been living on my own, I've made this modified version of her chicken casserole. It is SO easy and SO quick and my husband and I can eat off of it for at least two nights. It's also a great dish to make ahead of time and freeze for when you don't feel like cooking and want to just throw it in the oven to warm it.

This cost about $6 to make, but like I said, it makes SO much. I would say there's a minimum of 8 servings in this dish, which would make each serving only $0.75.

Here's what all you'll need...

Cream of Chicken Soup, Salt and Pepper, Mayo, Sour Cream, Shredded Cheese, Egg Noodles, and Chunk Chicken Breast

Yep, I use store brand stuff. We live off of a private school teacher's salary, folks.

First, start by cooking the egg noodles according to the directions on the package. 

While those are cooking, shred up your chicken. You can always use "real" chicken (vs. canned), this way is just easier for me. I'll take easy any way I can get it!

Also, now would be a great time to preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 

Once you've drained your noodles, put 'em back in the pot you cooked them in. Add in your can of cream of chicken soup, 2/3 cup of mayo, 2/3 cup of sour cream, your shredded chicken, salt and pepper to taste, and 1 cup of your cheese--stir it all up until it's combined. 

Transfer your mixture to a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

Top with the last cup of your cheese and slap that baby in the oven.

Bake until all the cheese on top is melted, about 10 minutes.

I forgot to take a picture before we started digging in. It was soooo good!

You can bet we'll be having this again for supper tomorrow night, and maybe the next..and the next.... 

Once again, try it and lemme know whatcha think! :)

White Bread

Confession:  I'm really tired of having to go to the store weekly, sometimes bi-weekly to buy bread. Ridiculous. I know.

Guess what?

I'm going to try to make my own white bread and see if it's worth the effort. If I totaled it up correctly, it should only cost me about $1.10 to make this particular recipe.

My brain had a momentary lapse of sanity and I forgot to take pictures of the first couple of steps. I forget things all the time now-a-days.

You'll need: All-Purpose Flour, 1 Package of Rapid-Rise Yeast, Skim Milk, Sugar, and Salt

First, heat 2 1/3 cups of milk to 100 - 110 degrees. 

Pour the milk into a bowl with the yeast and 2 Tablespoons of sugar and stir until it's all dissolved. This is what it will look like after doing so.

Add in 4 1/2 cups of flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and stir until it is all combined.

Pictured is 4 1/4 cups of flour and the salt, but I really felt like it was too soupy, so to make it easier to work with, spare the mess and add in the extra flour. Trust me. 

On a floured surface (it needs to be pretty dag'gum floured), knead the dough until it is elastic in texture and relatively smooth. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes. 

Place the dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray and turn to coat the dough in the oil.

Cover the bowl with a towel and let it sit in a warm area for 1 hour, or until its doubled in size. Once your hour is up (or its doubled in size), punch it down. 

 Let it rest for 5 minutes. Then, on a floured surface roll the dough into about a 14 by 7 inch rectangle. By no means did I get out a ruler and measure this. Just eye-ball it. 

Starting with a short end, start rollin' 'er up, pinching down the seams as you go. 

Once you've done that, pinch all of your seams closed. 

Plop that baby right down in your greased loaf pan, cover it and let it rise for another hour. 

About 30 minutes in, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown and when you tap on the top it sounds hollow. 

It tastes so, so yummy. I'd say it is definitely worth making it on my own instead of going to buy it from the store. 

I got 18 slices out of my loaf, but how many you get out of it really depends on how thin or thick you choose to cut it. 


Oh, and you see all those bread crumbs? I put those in a plastic bag and froze 'em. I can always use them for meatloaf or baked chicken or in burgers. 




Try this for yourself and let me know what you think!! :) 

Homemade Salsa

As a wedding gift, my sister-in-law got me one of the greatest inventions on this earth (when it comes to cooking)--the Ninja. If you don't have one, oh my goodness gracious how you are missing out on absolute divine greatness. With the Ninja, came a recipe book designed specifically for things to make in the Ninja; one of these recipes was for salsa, but it was small--the recipe book, that is--and I lost it in one of our many, many moves we made this past year.

SO, because I loved the recipe so much, I've racked my brain, which seems to be a hard thing to do these days, to remember this ever so difficult recipe. You can thank me later.



Here's what all you'll need...

1/4 of an onion, cilantro, 1 lemon, 1 (or two if you want yours chunkier) tomato, and salt---only about $1.50 worth of stuff, less if you grow your own tomatoes.


Now, I used my Ninja to make this easier on me, but you can definitely use a blender, food processor or even just chop it all up yourself.

First, chop up one of the tomatoes just so it'll fit in whatever kitchen gadget you may be using.

Then, stuff it in there the best you can. My tomato was so big I had to do one half at a time.

I just want to show you this baby...

You just sit that puppy on top, plug 'er in and press that silver part for, literally, split second intervals.

I pulsated mine 5 short, short times.


If you want a soupier salsa, you can always pulsate it longer to get your desired consistency.

Dump that juicy goodness in a bowl and stuff your quarter of an onion in there. Don't bother washing it out, it's all going to the same place anyway...

I treated my onion and tomato fairly so they wouldn't get their feelings hurt...I pulsated the onion for 5 short intervals, as well. It was only right.

Add it to your tomato and then go roll that lemon so you get all the juice you can out of it. If it's stubborn, just stick in the microwave for 10 seconds and that should help.

You can always used lemon juice from the bottle if that's whatcha got in your fridge.

Squeeze it in...cut side up, so the seeds don't get in. Yeah, I watch Food Network far too often. I clearly hear the voice of Racheal Ray saying that about the lemon.

Yes, that is a measuring spoon in my salsa. Why, you ask? Because I needed something to stir it with and the drawer I keep them in was closer to me than the silverware drawer.

Shut up.

Moving on...

Next comes the cilantro, I only put enough in my Ninja to make a single layer on the bottom.

I pulsated this for a while to make sure it was all chopped up.

Finally, add in as much or as little salt as you like. Remember, the tortilla chips you'll more than likely be eating this with will probably be pretty salty, so I would make sure not to over do it, but hey, if having your mouth feel like a sponge after the first bite is your cup o' tea, then go for it.

I won't tell anyone.

And here, my friends, is the finished product. Be sure to share children. You won't want to though, that I can promise.

Told you that was difficult. ;)

Now I just wish my little sister was here to scarf it all down with me...

My Wal-Mart Deals and Steals

Maybe I'm a little too enthusiastic about all of the deals I got today during my  shopping trip to Walmart, BUT I really, really, really need to let out some of my excitement by sharing what deals I got with you---my husband just doesn't get it...

Hey, you might can go snag some of the same things, so see, this is a win-win situation here. 

Disclaimer: I don't really remember what Sunday paper coupon insert I got some of the coupons from, but I pinky promise I'll do a better job next month of keeping up with that.

Herbal Essences Shampoo  $2.84

Price Matched with Kroger circular $2.50 in combination with

$1/1 Herbal Essences or Aussie Product

$1.50 Final Price

Colgate Toothpaste 6.4 oz  $1.74

Price Matched with Walgreens circular $0.99 in combination with

$0.50/1 any Colgate product

$0.49 Final Price

Carefree Pantyliners 22ct  $0.94

$0.50/1 Carefree Actifresh product (came with mailed free sample)

$0.44 Final Price

Nexcare Baindaids 8ct  $1.00

$0.55/1 any Nexcare Product

$0.45 Final Price

Benadryl Anti-Itch Stick  $2.38

$2.00/1 Benadryl Topical Product (Printable)

$0.38 Final Price

Scotch Transparent Tape  $0.97

$1/l Scotch Magic Tape (Scotch Starter Printable)

FREE Final Price ($0.03 overage)

Finish Quantum 10pk  $2.97

$1/1 Finish Quantum product

$1.97 Final Price

Cascade Action Packs 3pk  $0.97

$0.25/1 Cascade product

$0.72 Final Price

Beech Nut Rice Cereal  $1.50

Free Beech Nut Baby Cereal up to 8oz (Beechnut mailer)

FREE Final Price

Beechnut Apples and Bananas Baby Food  $0.65

Two Free Beechnut Baby Food of any kind up to $1.50 in value (Beechnut mailer)

FREE Final Price

Arm & Hammer Liquid Detergent  $3.78

Price Matched with Kroger circular $3.49 in combination with

$1/2 Arm & Hammer Detergents

$2.99/each Final Price

French's Worcestershire Sauce  $1.36

$0.75/1 French's Worcestershire Sauce (Printable)

$0.61 Final Price

Kikkoman Soy Sauce  $1.72

$1/1 Kikkoman product (Printable)

$0.72 Final Price

Frank's Red Hot Sauce $0.98

$0.50/1 Frank's Red Hot Sauce

$0.48 Final Price

Heinz Distilled White Vinegar  $1.12

$0.50/1 Heinz Vinegar

$0.62 Final Price

Crystal Light Wild Strawberry  $2.00

$1/1 Crystal Light Drink Mix

$1.00 Final Price

Hamburger Helper  $1.68

Price Matched with Walgreens circular $0.99 in combination with

$0.75/3 Hamburger Helper products

$0.74/each Final Price

Mahatma Yellow Rice  $0.72

$0.50/1 Mahatma Rice Product

$0.22 Final Price

Martha White Muffin Mix  $0.98

$1/4 Martha White Muffin Mixes (Printable)

$0.73/each Final Price

Pillsbury Brownie Mix  $1.50

$0.55/1 Pillsbury Frosting, Cake or Brownie Mix (Printable)

$0.95 Final Price

Kraft Ranch and Zesty Italian Dressings  $2.00

Price Matched with Kroger circular $1.49

$1.49 Final Price

2 Ltr Coke  $1.25

$1/1 any Coke Product (Recycle Bank mailed coupon)

$0.25 Final Price

These are just a few of the deals that I got today at Wally-World. I've found that I looveee their price matching because it saves me from having to go to three or four different stores--especially when I get a cashier that doesn't give me any trouble. 

If y'all found some great deals on your shopping trips, please, please share with me! :)