Twisted Overnight Casserole

When I started this blog a couple years ago, my first post was in January and it featured casseroles. My Grandma John's Overnight Casserole. Below you will find a twist on GJ's Casserole.

Twisted Overnight Casserole

2 cups Rotelle Pasta
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can Cream of Celery Soup
One and a half soup cans of Low fat milk
2 teaspoons pimento
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried chives
1 tablespoon minced onion
A few shakes Lawry's Garlic Salt
a couple shakes ground red pepper
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
2 cooked chicken breasts shredded

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese to top casserole and
1/2 cup buttered bread crumbs, crushed croutons, buttered cornflakes or smashed up cheese it. Use to top casserole the last 15-20 minutes of cooking time.

Combine soups, milk, pimentos, seasoning and cheeses in a medium bowl and stir. Add pasta and stir. Spray the bottom of a medium/large casserole dish with no stick cooking oil spray. Layer some pieces of chicken on the bottom. Spoon some of the soup mixture over chicken. Layer more chicken and then soup until all ingredients are used up.

Refrigerate overnight! Take out when ready to cook. Bake at 375 degrees F for an hour or until casserole is bubbly and cheese topping is melted.

Grandma John's Overnight Casserole and Jamie's Overnight Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Grandma John would come to California every couple of years and spend time with us. What fun times, in the car, in the kitchen, at restaurants, and playing card games. Grandma John had a fun sense of humor, a mean poker face and one heck of culinary background. Was it cooking for 8 kids that made her a wiz in the kitchen, passion, or just really good taste buds? She could cook or bake anything. She didn't use the fanciest of ingredients but she would have given any celebrity chef a run for their chef hat!


Grandma John's Overnight Casserole (previously posted)


1 3/4 cup cooked elbow macaroni
2 cups cooked and diced chicken
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup shredded cheese
2 cups milk
buttered bread crumbs


Put macaroni in a large bowl. Add chicken and cheese. In a separate bowl combine soups and milk. Pour soup over macaroni, chicken and cheese. Mix well and pour into a greased casserole dish. Cover casserole dish and put container in refrigerator overnight. When ready to cook, put in oven for 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees F.




Jamie's Overnight Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Similar to Grandma John's, just a bit Jami-fied.

One pound cooked pasta any kind (I used Trader Joe's Whole wheat flax fusilli)

2 cups cooked chicken tenderloins chopped

1 cup frozen or fresh broccoli

1 cup shredded mozzarella

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 cups milk

a few shakes Lawry's Garlic Salt

a few shakes black pepper

Put fusilli in a large bowl. Add chicken, broccoli and mozzarella to the bowl. In another combine the two cans of soup and milk. Pour soup mixture over pasta mixture and stir. Pour mixture into a greased casserole, cover and place in the refrigerator over night. When ready to cook, pull casserole from refrigerator and bake for an hour and a half in a 350 degree oven.

This is way good. SO, go the market, buy all this stuff and make it and bake it! Pioneer Woman has a fancy spaghetti pasta with cream of chicken soup. Check hers out at http://www.thepioneerwomancooks.com/!

Chicken Tamale Casserole/Pie?

I had one of these types of meals at one of my high school friend's house back in the early 90's. It was so good. I got my friend's Mom's recipe. Tried to make it and it was totally disgusting. Her recipe called for cornmeal. I made it wrong, apparently all wrong.

When one of my friend's was on Maternity leave I created this as one of the meals to put in her freezer. So at a moment's notice she could just pop one of the frozen meals in the oven and wha-la dinner is ready. I was also inspired by that yummy concoction from the 90's and The Green Corn Tamales from El Cholo (they are only available like 3 months out of the year). This is my combo/dream creation of the two.

Chicken Cheese Tamale Casserole

2 boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 small can green chiles or jalapenos (if you like it spicy hot)
a few shapes garlic salt
3/4 cup buttermilk or milk
2 eggs
2 chicken breasts cooked, seasoned and shredded
3/4 pound cheddar cheese or Spicy Jack (if you like it spicy) cubed
Save a 1/4 pound of cubes to top the Casserole/Pie

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease the bottom of a medium sized casserole dish or two smaller oven safe containers.

Pour contents of the two Jiffy boxes into a medium sized bowl. Add corn and chiles or jalapenos. Sprinkle salt. Pour buttermilk or milk onto the above mentioned and begin to stir. Stir until all ingredients are mixed. Spread 1/2 the mixture for one or a 1/4 of the mixture for two on the bottom of dish.

Sprinkle chicken on the muffin mix layer. Then press cheese cubes into mix. Spread remaining batter over chicken and cheese layer. Press remaining cubes into the top layer of muffin mix.

Bake 30-45 minutes until Casserole/Pie passes the toothpick test. I make this recipe into two, cook one and double wrap one to freeze to use at a later date. Bon Appetit!

New Year... New old school FOOD

Do you ever get tired of making the same old things for dinner all the time? Or do you ever get sick of paying the high price for mediocre food at a restaurant? Don't be afraid. YOU CAN COOK! Cook at home and save money. With all the money you will save eating at home, when you want to splurge at a restaurant you can afford to and the price of gas it takes to get you there.



It seems as though in our busy lives, convenience is key. We eat what is convenient. But those foods are not always the best for us. For some of us, it is easier to make reservations than open the refrigerator or pantry. Dust off those cookbooks or search the web for something that tempts your palette. One meal we can make convenient is CASSEROLES!



Crazy to think that the word casserole entered the English language in 1708. Casseroles have been around for a long time. They are a great way to incorporate leftovers into a new meal. Try an old family classic for a new meal.


Casseroles are awesome! They can even be made ahead and frozen to be used for a night when you don't want to prepare a meal. You can even make them in disposable tins so you don't have to do any caked on casserole dishes. The two casseroles below can be made ahead using one main ingredient, chicken. On a weekend mess up the kitchen and make a few meals to freeze.



This casserole is one from my Grandma Esther Getskow Johnson. She made this for us when she would visit from the Midwest. It is excellent comfort food.



Overnight Casserole



1 3/4 cups cooked macaroni noodles

2 cups shredded cooked chicken (or cooked hamburger)

1 can Campbell's Cream of Celery Soup

1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup (I use Cream of Chicken)

2 cups milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Buttered bread crumbs or croutons



Combine soups and milk in a large bowl. Add macaroni, chicken and cheese, stir until mixed. Pour mixture into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to cook, place casserole in a 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours. Serve with crusty bread and a fresh lettuce salad.

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

from the kitchen of Bonnie Olson

4 chicken breasts cooked and shredded

1 can Campbell's Cream of Chicken

1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom (I use another Cream of Chicken)

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 cup milk

1 cup sour cream

1- 4 oz can diced green chilis

10-12 corn tortillas (cut into bite size pieces)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Combine milk, soup, onions, sour cream and green chilis and set aside. Spray bottom of 9 x 13 pan or smaller pans with cooking oil spray. Layer tortillas, sauce mix, chicken and cheese. Repeat until all ingredients are used up. Refrigerate 12-24 hours. Bake for 1 hour in a 350 degree oven.

These two casseroles are tasty and easy to make.