Chicken Vermicelli

[Stephanie nli]

This makes 16 servings

What the author said:
"When you want deilicious, homemade comfort food, here is the recipe. Use leftover chicken, purchase rotisserie chicken, or saute chicken in a skillet for the cooked chicken. I usually prepare one casserole for dinner and freeze the other since this recipe feeds a lot of people. It's also great to make to take to someone's home."

Ingredients:
1 16-ounce package vermicelli, broken into 3-to 4-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsps all-purpose flour
1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes and green chilies
2 cups skim milk
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup chopped, jarred, roasted red peppers
1 cup frozen green peas
4 cups cubed, cooked, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1.5 cups shredded, reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
Cook the vermicelli according to package directions; set aside.

In a large non-stick pot saute the green pepper, onion, and garlic about 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Stir in the flour. Add the tomatoes, milk, and Worcestershire sauce, stirring until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Lower the heat and add the red peppers and peas, mixing well. Add the vermicelli, chicken, and cheese, stirring to mix well and heat through. Transfer to a 3-quart baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray.

To prepare and eat now:
Preaheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

To Freeze:
Do not bake before freezing. Cool to room temperature, wrap, label, and freeze. Recommended freezing time, up to 3 months.

To prepare after freezing:
Remove from freezer to defrost. Preaheat the oven to 350 F, Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until bubbly.

Nutritional Information:
250 Calories, 25 g protein, 29 g carbs, 3 fat, 3 g dietary fiber, 47 mg cholesterol, 323 mg sodium,

Diabetic exchanges:
3 very lean meat, 1.5 starch, 1.5 vegetable

My notes...I just cooked my chicken on the george foreman grill. I didn't use a whole onion since a) I couldn't cut up a whole one and b) I'm not that fond of it. Also, I never cooked it, I had about two cups that didn't fit into my containers so I ate it right after it was done on the stove and then I've microwaved a couple of small containers that I stuck in the fridge and they both came out fine, without baking it in the oven. But, baking it might make it taste fantasticker, so, we'll see.

I was surprised by how much I liked it, after all the dieting I've done it's hard for me to eat a chicken breast, so this recipe is good for me, lol.

[Mary Ann]

This looks really good, Stephanie! Like you say, total comfort food. I've got to halve the recipe though; that's a LOT for just the two of us.

[DorothyB]

MA - the whole plan is to make a LOT and freeze it. I've never done the freezer cooking before.

OK, as a total beginner at cooking, I have questions:
1) diced tomatoes & green chili - is this like Rotel tomatoes? or will I see this easily in that section??
2) chopped, jarred roasted red peppers?? What in the world are these? will I be able to find them in the grocery store? what will they probably be near?

This looks like a great recipe for Katherine and I to try when we cook together. And, even better, her lasagna bakes and we can work on this while the lasagna is in the oven.

[Stephanie nli]

I'm not much of a help since C does all the grocery shopping, but for the diced tomatoes I just used regular canned diced tomatoes, no peppers in them, since that's what C bought. (I also had to use regular sharp cheddar since our store didn't carry reduced fat).

As far as the peppers, they are in a small jar (almost enough for two I think, but I just made one thing of Vermicelli). I have no idea where they would be but they were in our grocery store, I'm guessing by where the tomatoes are.

It does make a lot Mary Ann, but we're trying to get a lot of food cooked so that all we have to do is microwave it to have something cooked and healthy. So if you have freezer space you can do that.

[Mary Ann]

I have two freezers, the one over the refrigerator and another freestanding one that's about 20 cubic feet. I just get sick of eating something very much if it's the same. We like variety, and usually don't like to do the same food twice in a month.

Yeah, those are the Rotel tomatoes. If they're too spicy you can substitute regular diced tomatoes in the same sized can.

The roasted peppers are often in the Italian foods section in a clear glass jar. I like the fire roasted red peppers best. They take the pepper and char the peel so it comes off easily, and leave just the interior. They're like giant pimientos, but with a sweet pepper flavor. They're AWESOME on panini!

For those that don't make much food at a time, you might really love a panini press. Talk about fast food! If you don't have one or don't want to get one, I bet a George Foreman grill would work. Traditionally it's a sandwich made of a white bread such as focaccia or sliced Italian bread, with roasted peppers, provolone or some other stretchy cheese, and some chicken or bits of veggies, ripe olives, etc. I like mine with a slick of dijon mustard too, and then you put it in the panini press or George Foreman grill and squish it until it's grilled and the cheese is melty. My oh my, that makes an awesome sandwich, and it saves on fat calories too.

[DorothyB]

My report:
I used reconstituted non-fat dry milk for the milk. I got a little too much chicken - 1.95# of boneless skinless chicken breast is a bit over 4 cups. 1.8# would probably be right.

I did find the red peppers. I'm not sure if they added anything except a little color to the dish??

I've eaten it twice now. The first time, and a little the second time, I kept taking a bite and thinking "where's the sauce?". I guess I'm used to more saucey casseroles.

However it tastes very good and, for me, there aren't any fat exchanges! There is some fat in the cheese, but since the chicken has less fat than an average meat echange, it nets out fine.

I haven't eaten any that has been frozen yet. If it tastes as good after freezing as it did yesterday, then this is definitely a "keeper / do often" recipe!!

I've been working a lot of OT this week, so having meals already prepared has really saved me!

Thanks Steph!!