Don’t cha mean Green Noodle Hotdish!? (it’s a Minnesota thing) The self-proclaimed ‘I don’t cook’ sister Coco (given name is Colleen, she goes by Coco, cute huh!) made this a family favorite ages ago. It’s one of those recipes that’s been passed all over town. It originally came from one of our mom’s cookbooks San Francisco Ala Carte, written by the Junior League of San Fran, circa 1979. It’s full of simple recipes, that were not seen here in the Midwest much (lots of seafood, greens, and no soup out of a can!).
It was one of those cookbooks that were gifted to every newly-wed bride. I’m lucky enough to have my mom’s copy (it was out of print when I got married, but I like having her hand-me-down better anyway! It’s loaded with her handwriting notes and tips, and even a few grocery lists, used as bookmarks. It’s a treasure, that’s for sure. I don’t recall mom making this dish, but sure am glad my sis found the recipe and made it a family goodie!
Of course, if you don’t have green noodles, use
Why are you going to make this yummers of a dish?
- Fast and easy, so make two
- Great for potlucks, or send over to a neighbor total crowd pleaser!
- Freezes well, great to have ready to pop in the oven during this crazy holiday season (trust me on this)
Hate green peppers? Me too, I often don’t even know why they are considered a vegetable, they taste so unripened. Haters gonna hate, but in this recipe, they work, trust me.
I have wanted to share this with all of you for a while now, and since there are plenty of leftovers in the fridge, it was time. I didn’t change the recipe much (a rarity for me, yes),
Try a few of these recipes this holiday season, keep it simple…
- Pasta al Limone
- Guinness Beef Stew, perfect for the freezer
- Eggs in Purgatory, always a quick weeknight meal
Green Noodle Casserole
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 40-45
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Of course if you don’t have green noodles, use fettucine. I’ve never made this with a short tubular (totally) pasta, but that would probably be fine too. It’s the combination of the sauces with the cheese, simple but utterly usual combination. It’s a great way to use up those turkey leftovers. You can even freeze it and pop it out during the busy holiday season.
Ingredients
- 12 oz. spinach noodles (or other wide noodled long pasta)
- 1 lb. diced (about 3 cups) chicken, turkey or ham (or any combo)
- 1 bunch green onions, chopped (save some green parts for garnish)
- 1 small green pepper (about 1 cup), diced very small
- 1 long red chili pepper (for color and extra flavor)
- 3/4 cup mayo
- 3/4 cup sour cream or yogurt (I used whole-milk you, it’s delish)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Fresh cracked pepper, a lot!
- 1 cup (about 4 oz.) sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
- A sprinkling of smoked paprika on the top, just like mom would have added
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart casserole and set aside. Cook noodles in well-salted water, about 2-3 minutes less than the package instructs (it will finish in the dish). Drain thoroughly and place it in the casserole dish.
Place the meat, green onions and green pepper on top. Combine mayo, sour cream (or yogurt) and Worchestershire. Pour over noodles and sprinkle top with cheese. Add lots of fresh cracked pepper and top with a sprinkling of smoked paprika. Bake for 30-40 minutes.
TIP: add a few tablespoons of the sauce mixture to the noodles and toss a bit, that will flavor them a bit more and keep them from sticking together.
Notes
NOTE: You might notice there is no additional salt in this recipe. You don’t need it, trust me. If you properly season the pasta water, that’s all you need. The Worchesterhire sauce, cheese etc. is plenty. Be sure to use freshly cracked black pepper as well!
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