Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

It's monsoon season in Seattle. Sure Seattle has a reputation for being a soggy town and I know that most people who don't live here have the impression that we're just one click away from drowning in our own streets. People should know that Seattle is a vibrant, bustling city with only a slight tendency for being dreary {that's my story and I'm sticking to it}.

When I think back to my childhood, I only remember the sunny days. I suppose it's my selective memory getting the better of me and that's okay. I don't mind thinking back on the days when it seemed as if we had firecrackers all the time, not just on the 4th of July. I like the image of me and my two brothers weaving our way around laundry billowing on the backyard clothes line -- sun beating down, naturally fabric softening our linens. Every day was skateboarding weather and every hill beckoned us to come ride its bumpy surface. For some reason, memories of rainy days are scarce and how can that be growing up in Seattle? 

I still recall my mother starting dinner just shortly after we ate lunch. My mom never took short cuts and always purchased everything raw -- there were no instant this that or the other. Beans would soak from morning til night, corn had to be schucked and lettuce needed washing. We didn't live in the back woods or anything it's just that my mom knew what would taste best and cost the least.

By the time my mom ran the spoon around the inside of a large skillet and bellowed from the front porch, "Supper time!" {Just kidding} it was time for me and my brothers to scrub our hands clean and sit down to dinner. All that playing, warm sun and aromas of comfort foods simmering on the stove helped to build up a hefty appetite.

Whenever I've got multiple pots going and it's not quite noon, I think back on those sunshiny days with fondness. I had a rough childhood and these small, happy, moments play like a delightful montage in my head.

I made this Chicken Spaghetti Casserole with the hopes that my family would gobble it up the first night and then beg for leftovers the next night. Well, they didn't. My husband and Sammy liked it, but Alex wasn't having anything to do with it. I on the other hand thought it tasted great. I had it two nights in row and would have had it a third night if I didn't feel it was adding a little too much to my hips. My husband and Sammy said one night was enough.

This recipe screams of down home comfort which is not exactly the type of food we normally eat. This casserole is rich and thick and filling, and if you're not used to eating this way, it can be a little much. However, if you're looking for a hearty, flavorful meal, I really think you should try it.

Please go {here} for the recipe. The Pioneer Woman blog is one of my favorites for anytime I'm stumped on what to cook for dinner. The woman who writes the blog even has a cook book that you can find at Costco, only I didn't buy it because, quite frankly, her blog is plenty enough for me.