Chicken Spaghetti-new skill learned-cooking a WHOLE chicken :)

I had so much fun looking at Pioneer Woman's blog to find some tasty creations to try. I found 2 recipes that I will be making over the next week. I happily went to the grocery store and found all (actually I left without 2 of them...oh well they were that important anyways) while shopping. I came home and got to work.

Here is the link to Pioneer Womans's blog: She gives detailed descriptions and fantastic pictures to help you along the way...

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/chicken_spaghet/

I chose this recipe because it had a challenge for me.......cooking a WHOLE chicken. Honestly...I was terrified at 1st just thinking about having to 1st-find a whole chicken in the grocery store 2nd-find a pot large enough (I had to raid mom's kitchen) 3rd-handling raw chicken (some chickens carry salmonella...yikes) 4th-make sure it was cooked all the way....and the list goes on. Basically i just didn't want to fail. I was going to cook this chicken and make homemade chicken broth in the process :) I didn't want to take the easy way out because I know it is important to be able to know this skill for cooking!

The recipe says that you can prepare the dish (cook chicken and noodles and put ingredients in the casserole dish) and then put it in the fridge and cook it in the next 2 days. I decided that I would do it this way so that I would have plenty of time.
Just so you know.....I completely forgot to buy the pimentos (but it still turned out great)

I took me a while to complete preparing the dish so I would give yourself plenty of time.

Here is the basic recipe that I used from her wonderful/helpful website:

Recipe: Chicken Spaghetti
Prep Time: 30 Minutes | Cook Time: 45 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 8

Ingredients
2 cups Cooked Chicken
3 cups Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces
2 cans Cream Of Mushroom Soup
2cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
¼ cups Finely Diced Green Pepper
¼ cups Finely Diced Onion
1 jar (4 Ounce) Diced Pimentos, Drained
2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot
1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
⅛ teaspoons (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Preparation Instructions

Cook 1 cut up fryer and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.
Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).

This recipe is the condensed form.....I used the picture form (see above). The picture form was useful to me because I learned step by step how to cook the chicken and even how to cut up the green pepper and onion. I really like that this recipe can be cooked ahead and froze or refrigerated. It is something that I will cook again!

Also I decided not to put the extra cup of cheese on top of the casserole. I just figured there was enough cheese inside of it!

Thanks Pioneer Woman for the great recipe! :)

Here is are my pictures: