Cafeteria Noodles Is A Timeless Comfort Meal That Calls For 5 Basic Main Ingredients
When a dish has the word "cafeteria" in the name, it's probably not on most home cooks' radar. With the word often comes memories of fluorescent lighting, unappealing scoops of mush, and baby carrots. But cafeteria food gets a bad rap. Some old-school lunches, such as cafeteria noodles, can be surprisingly comforting and full of nostalgia.
With five ingredients, cafeteria noodles is easy to put together since you just throw everything in a pot on the stove. Starting with chicken broth (plus more Better than Bouillon chicken base for extra flavor if you like), you then add butter and a full can of cream of chicken soup. Don't worry, the dish definitely tastes like chicken, but you can substitute the cream of chicken soup for cream of mushroom if you want more diverse flavors. Season this mix, such as with pepper, garlic powder, and parsley, let it cook down for a bit, then add egg noodles. Let them cook, then cover your pot for 15 minutes. When you return, the liquid will have thickened into a velvety, delicious sauce, and your cafeteria noodles are ready to serve. This nostalgic comfort dish is extremely flavorful, you don't have to do any extra dishes since the noodles cook directly in your sauce, and it's an ideal choice if you have a picky eater around.
What to add to cafeteria noodles
There are plenty of ways to upgrade cafeteria noodles. For starters, some extra protein is always ideal. Shredded rotisserie chicken is inexpensive, easy, and delicious, but get the best rotisserie chicken at your local grocery store for this. Some frozen peas and carrots are also inexpensive, and add extra fiber and nutritional value to cafeteria noodles. With these additions, the dish is reminiscent of a chicken pot pie sans crust. Broccoli works great too; the earthy flavor goes well with the chicken and egg noodle combination.
You can also take your cafeteria noodle base and easily turn it into a tuna casserole. Use quality store-bought canned tuna and swap regular black pepper for lemon pepper; the citrus complements the tuna perfectly. Bake it in the oven for a bit and you have a perfectly gooey casserole. Whether you're trying the noodles out on their own or upgrading to a full-blown casserole, cafeteria noodles are definitely worth a try — despite the unappealing name.
@southern.and.spice Recipe: – 32 oz. Chicken broth – 1 tbsp. Better Than Bouillon chicken base – 3/4 stick of butter – 2 cans cream of chicken with herbs – pepper, garlic powder, and parsley to taste – 12 oz. Egg noodles 1. To a stock pot, add broth, bouillon, butter, cream of chicken, pepper, garlic, and parsley. 2. Bring to a boil, and add your egg noodles. 3. Boil noodles for 5 minutes, then set pot aside and cover. Let sit for 15 minutes #sidedish #recipes #sidedishrecipe #whatsfordinner #pastarecipe