February 7, 2025
Chicken Spaghetti, The Davis Family Way
This month's recipe is provided by our very own Valerie Davis. Valerie was born and raised in Brownwood, Texas, and grew up with four sisters including her beloved twin, Vanessa. The Davis family had dinner together at the dinner table each evening. When she was 20, she moved to Austin to follow her twin to the city. One of her favorite pastimes with her late sister, Vanessa, was hosting friends over for meals.
Valerie shares that she became familiar with Meals on Wheels in Brownwood. "My father had cancer, and they were delivering meals to him," she says. Witnessing the importance of the Meals on Wheels mission, she felt a strong pull to the organization. After working in the public sector and retiring, Valerie joined the Meals on Wheels Central Texas team in 2023.
Valerie enjoys bringing people together and often shows her love through cooking. This love for cooking was passed down by her grandmother, who would prepare delicious meals for the family each Sunday. Valerie has a copy of her grandmother's cookbook as a keepsake. She enjoys making desserts from it and even made her grandmother's three-layer strawberry cake recipe to share with her friends at Meals on Wheels Central Texas.
As our Mema always said, "Always cook out of love, never out of duty." - Valerie Davis
Ingredients
- 2 cups of diced celery (small)
- 2 cups of diced yellow onions (small)
- 2 sticks of butter (salted or unsalted)
- 1 can of cream of chicken soup
- 1 can of cream of celery soup
- 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
- 1 package of spaghetti noodle (varies based on serving size)
- 1 whole chicken (poached or substitute with store bought rotisserie chicken)
- 2 to 3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 to 3 cartons of chicken broth (for substitute method)
- Salt, pepper, and celery salt (season to taste)
Preparation
Step 1: In a large skillet, saute the diced celery and onions in butter until tender. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and celery salt. Add butter as needed to caramelize the veggies.
Step 2: As the celery and onions are cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the chicken and poach until done. Remove the chicken from the water to cool. Save the chicken broth to boil the spaghetti noodles. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Note: Substitute the poached chicken for a full-cooked rotisserie chicken. If using rotisserie chicken, use cartons of chicken broth to cook the spaghetti noodles.
Step 3: Combine all three cans of soup and veggies into a large pot. Bring to a mild boil and add the chicken. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer.
Step 4: In a seperate large pot, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add the uncooked noodles and boil for 10 minutes or as Valerie says until one noodle sticks to the wall.
Step 5: Add the cooked spaghetti to the soup and veggie mixture. Combine it into a large casserole dish and cover.
Step 6: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and cook for approximately 30 to 45 minutes.
Step 7: Once cooked, remove the dish from the oven and add cheese. Valerie says they like to stir some cheese into the dish before topping it with a layer of cheese. Place dish back in the oven, uncovered to melt the cheese to your liking.
Step 8: Serve in a bowl and enjoy with garlic or French bread. Valerie adds vegetable sides are optional, but why would you?
This recipe may be altered in size for a smaller family or even for a table of two.
Recipe provided by Valerie Davis
Learn more about our medically tailored, home delivered meals provided to support the nutrition of our older adult neighbors. Explore ways to support Meals on Wheels Central Texas in our mission of increasing food access, providing nourishment, and delivering care to our Central Texas neighbors.