Easy Chicken and Potato Casserole

It has been a year since my mother-in-law visit me last December.  I am still trying to finish the food she left behind. (I'm not joking!) It's really the love for her to show that she cares about us but it could be quite a challenge for me to use her ingredients as we have different cooking skills.  I have a few packets of this Continental Spaghetti bolognese powder mix that she left behind and I have made several pasta dish from that already.  In fact, I hardly buy any powdered food like this as I reckon they are space food for the astronaut.  While I'm living on earth, I would prefer to make my own sauce or use the bottle/tin instead.  So I end up putting it into a casserole, my very own "space casserole."

I have tried many western style casserole but the only one that my husband will eat is the apricot-chicken that also use powdered food (French onion soup).  He just doesn't like the taste of canned tomato in casserole, so I put in his favourite tomato sauce (ketch-up) for this casserole recipe.  Even though it is not quite that typical kinds of a casserole, I finally got him to love casserole after all this trial and error.  Waiting for him to tell me what he thinks feel likes waiting for my report card.

Chicken and Potato Casserole

(serve 3 - 6)

6 chicken drumsticks

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 medium potato, chopped (about 2cm)

1/2 packet (25g) of the Continental Spaghetti Bolognese

1 teaspoon of garlic mince 

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1 1/3-1 1/2 cup water

3 tablespoons plain flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

pepper

a handful of frozen pea

a handful of shredded cheese

Method:

1. Preheat the oven at 200c.
2. Marinate chicken with salt and pepper and set aside for 20 minutes.  Then coat chicken with plain flour.  
3. Heat oil in pan, pan fry chicken until the skin is evenly brown.  Set aside.
4. Heat oil in casserole, stir in onion and then garlic.  Add in chicken, carrot and potato and stir for a few minutes with medium heat.  Then add the spaghetti bolognese powder mix, tomato sauce and water.  Keep stirring until it is well combined. 
5. Finally add the peas and cheese.  Close the lid and bake in the oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour.  Take the lid off after 35 minutes and bake uncovered for the last 15-25 minutes.  If it gets too brown but the potato is still not cooked, cover it with the lid again and bake until it is cooked.

Note: Do not cut the potato too big as it will take longer time to cook.

It's always excited to put up the Christmas tree than put it away.  Some of our neighbours have their houses decorated with outdoor light and Christmas decoration.  We like to drive along and looking at them every year to pick our favourite one.  Besides the celebration of the born of Jesus, Christmas is also the time for giving, to show our love and care to our family and friends as well as to the needed.  I made this tea cosy for my daughter's friend as she wants to show the appreciation of her friendship.  We are having secret Santa this year for the kids, each kid will buy a present for a cousin (that is picked by random) and also receive a present from another cousin.  I hope this can be a tradition in my family and leave good memory for the kids.