Chicken Mac and Cheese Casserole

Sunday after church, my family and I went over my Mom's house to help out with the yard work.  I got to mow the front yard, but didn't do the back since it is a lovely field of wildflowers!

My favorite tree!

My favorite tree is a grand Beech Nut; surrounded by a mossy bed.

The large Elm is my second favorite and used to have a swing hanging from it.

The kids and picked up sticks, cleaned up the yard, and had a bon fire.

We all know how Troy is especially into roasting stuff. :-)

Gladys joined in the fun, too.

After eating all the sugar they could handle at Grandmas, I took em home and had em work there too.

Troy got a Black Oak tree from school, on Earth Day, that we planted in the front yard.

After planting the tree, we did the ceremonial Indian dance to bring on the rain! :)

Supper that evening was a yummy Chicken Mac and Cheese Casserole. I made mine with a bit of a spicy kick.  The sour cream helps to tone it down if you accidentally add to much chili powder.`:)

 
I had planned to grill the chicken for this dish, but the Indian dance worked quicker than expected.

A mix of peppers, onion, and Rotel with green chilies gets combined with Velvetta cheese (I used the light kind).

 

Basically, everything gets melted together into a creamy mess of goodness, and then topped off with even more cheese!  MMMmmmm Cheese.
 

 

Ingredients:

1/2 (16-oz.) package macaroni pasta

2 tablespoons butter 

1 medium onion, diced 

1 green bell pepper, diced 

1 (10-oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chiles 

1 (8-oz.) package pasteurized prepared cheese product, cubed

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup sour cream 

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomatoes and green chiles and prepared cheese product; cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Stir in chicken, next 3 ingredients, and hot cooked pasta until blended. Sprinkle with shredded Cheddar cheese.
3. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly.