I lost my job in May and knew I would not be rehired in early August. I loved my job. I still love my job even though I am not there. I miss teaching, planning, having fun, etc. It kind of consumed my life. I did not know what to do when I lost it. I was so hurt, broken hearted, and just plain broken; in all reality, I still am. I have renewed my love for food and for cooking, though, and since God has allowed it to be such a healing part of this time in my life, I am going to share my favorite recipes with you starting with this one, Chicken Caesar Pasta Casserole.
Also part of the healing process was a trip to the house of my best friend from high school with two other wonderful friends of mine. It is about a 2+ hour drive to her house, so Merry Lynne, Mary Beth, and I caught up with each other on the way. Mary Beth has lived and worked in Europe for a couple of years. Did you read what I said? Europe! Austria to be exact. We got to hear about her travels, and what it is like to teach conversational English to high schoolers. Ridiculous. I would love to travel to her house with friends sometime, too.
Merry Lynne filled us in on a lot of what had been going on with her family since Mary Beth and I graduated. There are times in the Christian life when you see someone you haven't seen in a while, and after a small bit of conversation, you can feel just how much that person has grown in the Lord. You can just tell. When it has happened, the Holy Spirit in both of you lets you know. No one really has to say anything about it. You just know. I felt that way in the car with Merry Lynne that day. She's been a spiritual example in my life for a while (in spite of our joint efforts to play countless wonderful pranks throughout my high school experience), but I could just feel that she had grown that much more. It makes the heart smile, and the mouth smiles with it. It can't help it.
I've felt that way about my friend, Melonie, too. Even though she is hours away, now, I can feel the growth in the short messages we send to each other even though they are few and far between. When we got to her house in Mississippi, she had a casserole waiting on us. It was this casserole: Chicken Caesar Pasta Casserole. I do not know if this one is exactly the same, but I looked it up as soon as I got home.
Here's the recipe card for the recipe that makes me remember that wonderful September Saturday we spent at Melonie's. Happiness. Oh, and you will find as you read my recipes, that I don't even follow my own recipe cards written in my own handwritting exactly. My recipes tend to change a bit over time...so what I really do is on the recipe at the bottom. Enjoy!
Step One: Per the suggestion, chop the red pepper in the food processor.
Yes, those peppers are orange. I ran out of red! I usually buy a bag of assorted small sweet peppers at my grocery store because I can add as much or as little of whatever color I feel like adding. Orange is good in this recipe, but red is better. Bell peppers work just as well as sweet ones, too.
Yes, I realize this is not really a food processor. This is a handy chopper that wants to be a food processor when it grows up, but it gets the job done...just in batches.
...and mozzarella cheese,
Step Nine: Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until casserole is heated through and croutons are golden brown.
Refrigerate leftovers (if there are any!).
As a final note, my dad is pretty picky. He says he will eat anything, but he lies. :). He knows he does, too, which is why he follows that statement with laughter. There are some meals that I make that are absolutely delectable, not to mention delicious, that he does not like because they "are not simple enough." There are actually very few meals that my dad likes, let alone loves. He not only liked this meal, he made a point to beat the rest of us to the leftovers!
2 c. penne rigate, corkscrew, or ziti pasta, cooked in well-salted water and drained
2 c. cooked, shredded Perfect Chicken
3/4 c. creamy Caesar dressing (I like Ken's Garlic Creamy Caesar Dressing, and you can use up to 1 c. if you would like)
1/2 c. chicken broth
1/3 c. chopped green onions or chives
1/4 c. red bell pepper
1 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese
1 c. seasoned croutons
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated
Mix all ingredients except croutons and parmesan in a large bowl. Pour into a greased 9x13 casserole dish. Top with croutons and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until casserole is heated through and croutons are golden brown. Refrigerate leftovers (if there are any!).
Mix all ingredients except croutons and parmesan in a large bowl. Pour into a greased 9x13 casserole dish. Top with croutons and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until casserole is heated through and croutons are golden brown. Refrigerate leftovers (if there are any!).
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