Chicken Strogonoff with Fresh Spinach

Fresh Spinach with Noodles and Chicken in a Sauce with Cheese!! What's not to like about this one???

Yes, I have lost my mind.  There is no doubt about it.  Not sure if it is the emotional overload and worry about my family since our nephew's accident Thursday or just because that is the way it is.  Having a lot of trouble spelling, putting down thoughts, remembering what I am doing or want to do....

An update this morning from sis said he has contracted pneumonia and they are treating.  Thank you for prayers.

We still had to eat supper last night and I had purchased the ingredients for this before tragedy befell us.  Forgot to get the chicken out to thaw though!!!  See what I am saying here???  Well anyway I had to stop for milk so I grabbed a rotisserie chicken and that worked out just fine.

I was inspired to try this by a recipe I had seen in March 2012 issue of Real Simple magazine.  It was my first issue ever so I looked at it well and paid a bit more attention than normal to a magazine.  It was for Chicken Spinach and Noodle Casserole page 206.  I thought Brian would like it because he likes everything in it!! I did adapt it considerably though to get it "just right" for us.  We would always choose 2 kinds of cheese and extra sour cream over bread crumbs and 2 t. of thyme would be way way too much for Brian.  No reason to chop any spinach either, not when it wilts down to nothing in a shake.

Here are the ingredients as I used them:

6 T. butter
4 T. flour
4 C. milk (I used 2%)
1 1/4 C. sour cream
12 Oz. wide egg noodles cooked 1 minute less than package directions and rinsed well in cold water
fresh black pepper and salt to taste
1 whole rotisserie chicken skinned, boned, and torn into medium chunks
5-6 Oz. bag of fresh baby spinach washed and dry
1/3 C. Parmesan cheese grated
4  Oz. cheddar cheese grated
1/4 t. dried thyme

Prepare a 9 x 13" glass baking dish with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Bone the chicken discarding skin and bones.  Tear into rough chunks and set aside for now.

Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed sauce pan and sprinkle in the flour cooking for a minute or two.

Whisk in the milk all at once and keep stirring as it cooks and thickens.  Remove from the heat when thickened and stir in the sour cream, chicken, 1 t. salt, 1/4 t. pepper, cooled noodles, spinach, and thyme.  Mix all together well and turn into the prepared dish.  Top with Parmesan cheese then the shredded cheddar.  Bake for 25 minutes until bubbling around the edges and the cheese has melted.

Remove from the oven and cool a few minutes (just maybe 5) before serving.  Refrigerate and cover tightly any leftovers to reheat another day.  Serves 6-8.

YES, I forgot to take a final picture.  I will try for one when I reheat for lunch.  I need to ask for your patience and tolerance until Jacob wakes up.  My ducks just will not line up for me.