Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS:

12 ounces thin spaghetti
2 tablespoons butter
1 tbs olive oil
1 container sliced mushrooms; roughly chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 chopped green bell pepper
1/2 chopped red bell pepper
Two 10.75-ounce cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cups half and half
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
2 large chicken breasts; cut into small cubes and cooked
1 tbs basil pesto
4 ounces cream cheese; softened
salt and pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
onion powder, to taste
dried italian herb seasoning (not the dressing)
dash of powdered mustard

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9X13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet, cook chicken and season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and italian herb seasoning. Remove chicken from pan once cooked through and set aside in a bowl covered with tin foil.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, but only cook it until it's al dente (you still want a little bite to it). Drain the pasta, toss with a little butter and set it aside in the greased 9X13 baking dish

3. Melt butter in the same skillet the chicken was cooked in, over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion, celery and bell peppers. Cook until the vegetables have softened, 4 to 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix milk and soup until smooth. Add this mixture to the vegetables in the pan. Stir in 3/4 of the bag of cheddar cheese and cream cheese. Continue to heat the mixture until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth. Add in chicken and season to taste with salt and pepper, powdered mustard, powdered garlic, powdered onion and basil pesto. Pour 3/4 of the mixture over top of the spaghetti and mix evenly spreading the noodles evenly apart. Pour the remaining sauce over top of the spaghetti and spread out. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese.

4. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the casserole is hot and bubbly and golden brown.