Food of Love

"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality." Romans 12:9-13

I love this passage! It is just stuffed with so much practical instruction. What I want to focus on is love for the saints and showing hospitality. This is a super practical post. There have been so many times in the past when another believer needed a prepared meal. I've always been happy to provide it, but I've never really found a faithful, go-to recipe that I really like. Well, I've found one and I wanted to share it. I like this recipe because it's GOOD, it's CHEAP (relatively), it's COMFORTING, and it's FREEZABLE, and my favorite thing...you can make one for your family and one for someone else. So, here it is, a modified (very slightly, basically I doubled it) version of...

The Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti. (Original recipe at thepioneerwoman.com)

4 c. cooked shredded chicken

(I bought 1 lg package of chicken thighs @ 99 cents/lb., cooked it in water with some celery, onion, salt and lemon pepper, and removed it from the bone RESERVE THE BROTH!)

6 c. (I think that's about a lb.) thin spaghetti broken into 2 in. pcs

1 lg. can cream of mushroom soup

1 lg. can cream of chicken soup

4 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 c. finely chopped bell pepper

1/2 c. finely diced onion

8 oz. jar pimientos

4 c. reserved chicken broth

2 t. seasoned salt

1/8 t. cayenne or cajun seasoning (opt.)

salt and pepper to taste

1-2 c. additional grated cheese

1. Cook spaghetti until ALMOST done. Make sure it still has a little bite to it, because it's going to finish cooking in the oven. Drain.

2. Combine everything else including the spaghetti, except for 1-2 c. of additional cheese.

3. Grease (or butter would be even better) 2-13x9 baking dishes. Dump half in each dish. Top with remaining grated cheese. Bake one for supper tonight (uncovered at 350 for 45 minutes or until bubbly), cool the other one, cover it with foil, and put it in the freezer for someone else. To prepare from freezer, thaw in fridge over night. Bake uncovered as directed above.

To me this is the ULTIMATE chicken spaghetti, (I've tried a lot of duds :-). It's just the right ratio of creaminess and flavor to spaghetti. So, I have one of these in my freezer as we speak, anyone out there need a meal? :-)