Favorite recipes!

Ok - this is the beginning of my favorite recipes that we use nearly every week in our house... The first one is my take on an oldie - "King Ranch Chicken"

Lisa's King Ranch Chicken with Pasta (feeds many)
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 can Rotel
1 can chicken broth
(supplemental - a small can of green chiles, chopped jalepenos)
1 big bag of grated cheese (I use the mexi-blend)
1 package of spaghetti
2-4 pounds of chicken - cooked and cubed
(supplemental - 2 cans of corn)

Ok - to begin with, you really can't have too much chicken for this. That's why I don't have an exact amount that you need. My mom used frozen chicken, already sliced in strips and grilled - that worked great. A friend of mine said she's going to cook this tonight using a rotisserie chicken - fantastic - whatever works for you.
And I cook the entire package of spaghetti, but I usually don't use all of it - I'll set aside some to mash up for my baby. And make sure your blender is at least 2.5 liters... or don't mix the can of chicken broth in with the other stuff in the blender - wait til you've blended the other stuff, and then hand mix it in.

Begin all of these things:
*Start cooking your chicken if you have to; dice it up.
*Start cooking your pasta; try to leave it just a little undercooked.
*Pre-heat your oven to 350.
*Combine the soups, rotel, chicken broth and a heaping handful of grated cheese in the blender. Blend it up. (supplemental - add a small can of green chiles, or jalepenos) If your sauce looks too thick, use the supplemental can of chicken broth or water, even, to make it a little more liquidy (but it should be fine).

Now, slosh a little sauce into the bottom of your dish just to coat the dish.
Toss the pasta in - cover the bottom with at least 1 inch of pasta - I usually get up to nearly 2 inches; don't worry if you don't use it all (I don't).

Slosh half of your sauce over the pasta.

Toss cheese on top - generously.

Next, layer the chicken on.

Slosh some more sauce on it; all of it, if you don't want corn...

Spread cheese generously on top.

Supplemental - pour two cans of corn on top, and slosh rest of sauce on, with another layer of cheese.

This will most likely bake over the sides of your dish if you used corn, so put a foil-lined pan underneath your dish...

Bake for 45min-1hour on 350!

Tada!

Hope you enjoy!!