Overnight Macaroni Casserole (picture)

                        (Photo by me, Doris)

This is an easy make-ahead casserole and it comes in handy when you know you'll be too busy to make much of a meal later in the day, or the next day.  (To prevent the chicken from warming up before you 'let the casserole sit' until later, allow enough time for the soup/cheese mixture to cool before assembling.)

But!, today, for the first time, I made this up in sort of a quick hurry and put it into the oven without ANY waiting.  I brought the first seven ingredients to a bubbly boil, removed it from the heat and stirred in the cooked chicken pieces and the uncooked macaroni.  I then put it into my sprayed casserole dish and baked it in the oven at 325-degrees for 1 and 1/2 hours (leaving the glass cover on for the first 45 minutes)-- then, turned the heat down to 300-degrees and left it in for another 20 minutes.  (The picture of this casserole from today is at the top.)  Since ovens vary, see how this works with YOUR oven.


Ingredients:

2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups milk
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoon butter
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (medium, or sharp)
~~~~
2 cups 'chunked' cooked chicken 
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Heat together the soup, milk, onion, salt, black pepper, butter and cheese (stir until
     cheese is melted and everything is blended).  Cool this.

2.  Put chicken and uncooked elbow macaroni into a large bowl.  Add the above
    cooled mixture, and stir together.

3.  Put into greased or well-sprayed casserole dish.

4.  Refrigerate overnight or all day, then bake for about 1 and 1/2 hours at 350 degrees (keep covered for the first 30 minutes).