Country Chicken Casserole

Notes: This is a nice dish to serve for company because you can do all the messy preparation in advance and clean up everything before any guests arrive. Just put it in the oven and enjoy visiting. Serve with a garden salad and dessert (both prepared in advance) and it's easy to relax with friends. Serves 8. Leftovers freeze and reheat well. Original from Barbara Steppel with modifications by Debra Steppel.

Ingredients

5-6 lb. bone-in chicken parts (or 4 lbs. boneless)

1/2 cup flour

canola oil for frying

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms

2-3 Tbsp. minced garlic

6 carrots (or 1 lb. baby carrots), sliced into coins

4 stalks celery, diced

2 - 15 oz. cans of tomato sauce

+ both cans filled with water

1 lb. uncooked elbows or rotini pasta

Directions

1. Lightly grease 2 - 9x13 casserole dishes. Put uncooked pasta on a single bottom layer of casserole dishes.

2. Coat chicken with flour, salt, and garlic powder mixture. Brown chicken in oil in heavy skillet. Remove from frying pan and place on top of pasta in the casserole dish.

3. In the frying pan with the oil, lightly saute onion, mushrooms, and minced garlic. Add vegetables and liquid. Simmer 10 minutes to soften vegetables.

4. Pour vegetables and sauce from the frying pan over the chicken and pasta. Make sure there is enough headspace in the pan for the pasta to expand as it absorbs the liquid.

5. Cover tightly with foil or a glass lid. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour if boneless, or 1.5 hours if bone-in, until chicken is tender and cooked through.