Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

2 C. elbow macaroni or penne pasta (preferably whole wheat)

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

1 C. sour cream

1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 1/2 C. shredded swiss cheese

1 C. cubed ham
1/2 C. Shredded chicken

1 1/2 C. Seasoned bread crumbs

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Prepare pasta according to package directions.

3. In a medium saucepan, combine soup, sour cream, lemon juice, and thyme on medium heat just until bubbling.  When bubbling, remove from heat and gradually add cheese while stirring constantly.  Add ham and chicken and stir thoroughly.  Stir in pasta.

4. Pour mixture into a casserole dish.  Top with a light coating of seasoned bread crumbs.  Cover and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Commentary:

I once made Chicken Cordon Bleu for Mike and he loved it.  However, I can't handle eating too much meat all at once...and my wallet can't handle it either.  So I had left over ingredients not too long later and I decided to try something a little different.  Luckily, Mike really enjoyed this as well because it's a lot easier make and I like it a lot better.  I usually use leftover chicken from when I roast a chicken, but it wouldn't take too much longer to cook up a chicken breast and cut it up.