FRIDAY'S FAMILY FAVORITES

It's always nice to come home after a busy day and have dinner waiting for you in the freezer. This casserole would be an excellent dish to carry to a new mother or a friend who's feeling puny. It would also be great to take to a covered dish affair. I found the recipe in SIMPLE AND DELICIOUS.

CHICKEN AND CHEESE NOODLE BAKE

1 pkg. spaghetti, broken (I will use whole wheat)

2 medium onions, chopped

1 medium green pepper chopped

1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped

1/2 c. butter, cubed

6 tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 cups 2% milk (I will use skim)

4 cups cubed cooked chicken (I will probably used the canned chicken)

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken and mushroom soup, undiluted

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted (look for the heart healthy version)

1 c. (8oz.) sour cream (I will use fat free)

1/2 tsp. celery salt (I will use celery seed)

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 c.(8 oz.) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 c.(4oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile saute the onions and green and red peppers in butter in a Dutch oven until tender. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 mi. or until thickened. Stir in the chicken, soups, sour cream, celery salt, and pepper.

Drain spaghetti; add to sauce mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to 2 greased 11x7 inch baking dishes. Sprinkle with cheeses. Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350 for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 min. longer until bubbly.

TO USE THE FROZEN CASSEROLE: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350 for 40 min. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes longer until bubbly