Buffalo Chicken Casserole

I made this casserole a week ago. It was delicious! I am not normally a fan of spicy food, but this was the perfect amount of hot sauce for me. R simply cannot get enough of hot sauce. The man adds it to everything. Rather than add more to the casserole, I gave him the bottle of hot sauce with his plate. Not five minutes later, half of the remainder of the bottle had been added to his plate. Needless to say, he loved it.

Modifications: The original recipe is courtesy of Eating Well, but I modified it slightly to account for what I had in the fridge and to accommodate my hatred of celery and blue cheese.

Tips: Be careful not to overcook the chicken. You don't want to cook it thoroughly before putting it in the oven.

Ideas: Next time I make this, I might add some sliced mushrooms, a full yellow bell pepper, and add slightly less pasta.

Ingredients

• 10 ounces elbow noodles
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 medium carrots, sliced thin
  
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
  
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1.75 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 4 cups low-fat milk
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons hot sauce, preferably Frank’s RedHot
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta (about 4 ounces)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Bring a Dutch oven of water to a boil. Cook noodles until barely tender, about 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain, rinse and set aside.
3. Heat oil in the pot over medium heat. Add carrots, bell pepper, and garlic and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink on the outside, 5 to 7 minutes. Whisk cornstarch and milk in a medium bowl; add to the pot along with salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often, until bubbling and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in hot sauce.
4. Spread the noodles in a 9-by-13-inch (or similar 3-quart) baking dish. Top with the chicken mixture; sprinkle with feta.
5. Bake the casserole until it is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Original recipe: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/buffalo_chicken_casserole.html