Leftover Lunch - Creamy Chicken Casserole

Creamy Chicken Casserole

1/2 - 1 cup cooked and deboned chicken, chopped
1/2 can stewed, diced tomatoes
2 cups shredded vegetables (I use broccoli slaw)
1/4 cup chopped onion or 2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup mango sauce (I bought mine from HEB)
Salt, pepper to taste
Enough water to cover

If you have enough ingredients on hand to double this recipe, you can double and then divide for 2 different recipes.

Combine all ingredients in a 3qt saucepan.  Add enough water to cover.  On low heat, simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add additional water if needed.  The mixture should be moist, but not watery when cooked down.

At this point, add either 1 cup dry pasta or 1 cup instant rice to the mixture.  Add 1 can tomato paste, 1 cup water and 1/4 cup half/half.  Stir well.  Simmer on low, covered until rice/pasta are cooked.  You can also put in a crockpot if desired.

The idea behind leftover lunch is to use as many leftover items in your fridge as possible.  Food prices continue to rise, so what I actually get to bring home gets smaller and smaller. I think often to the Great Depression and Relief Gardens which became known also as Victory Gardens at the onset of WW2.  Many smaller communities are seeing a rise in community gardens in the last few years.  Living in an apartment in a part of town without a community garden, I have to be creative to stretch my food budget.

Extreme coupon-ing and shopping sales may work for many families.  Even joining a wholesale club could be beneficial.  I've looked into all these options.  Utilizing part coupons and part sales, I also had to develop techniques and recipes to use every bit of food purchased to keep my costs in line.

When I can purchase chicken for $1 a pound, for instance, I buy quite a bit of it and portion it in zip bags.  Each portioned bag contains enough chicken for 2 -3 meals.  When I cook, I prep as many meals at the same time to cut down on the time I am actually in the kitchen.

Recently, I created menu lists for my oldest daughter who was leaving the nest.  When I asked her how I could help her with recipes, etc, she asked for directions on my cooking many things at the same time.  This recipe was on the chicken page.