There is this one bush in my side yard that offers the allure a momma robin needs to make a nest. I always know spring has arrived, for once again baby robins are chirping, calling out to their only supply of steady food — “momma.”
I pushed back a few branches to get a better look and instinctively the huge-for-their-face mouths of three little balding, big-eyed baby birds opened up. They didn’t even bother to open those bulging eyes to see if momma robin had once again returned with dinner, because to them, the rustling of branches thus far meant time to eat.
For a moment I watched, and then I began to feel this sense of likeness and the whole “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life” revealed some truth, as I know my son exercises the same response as those tiny birds when he sees me. No, he doesn’t do the whole flip-top head with mouth open wide thing, like the birds do. But it’s eerily similar.
Instinctively, at first sight of momma his response is, “What’s for dinner?” There are moments that I wonder if he even knows my name. On occasion I’ll get in my greeting first before he has a chance to say anything.
“Hi babe,” I’ll say. To which he will reply, “I’m hungry!”
Today, I made a delicious chicken and gouda casserole. I’m calling it Chigouda Casserole. It’s a delicious, quick fix. In an attempt to stray from the normal conditioned responses, I decided to pick him up from school and without saying a word just shove a plateful of food right in his face.
This casserole was definitely a hit in more than one way. He loved the smokiness of the gouda cheese and small splashes of heat the paprika offered.
“Now that’s how my dinner should arrive every day,” he muttered with a mouthful of food. Hmmm, I’m definitely making a man out of him.
Chi-Gouda Casserole
By Published: December 12, 2011
- Yield: 4-6 Servings
- Prep: 10 mins
The smokiness of the gouda cheese and small splashes of heat the paprika offered makes this meal a must try.
Ingredients
- 1 rotisserie chicken pull about the meat off and use the rest of the meat for another dish
- 1/2 lb. egg noodles prepared according to package
- 1/2 lb. shiitake mushrooms
- 1/2 stick butter
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 red onion chopped
- 2 T. olive oil
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 2 cupss mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup gouda cheeese grated
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2/3 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 lb. baby spinach
Instructions
- Preheat your broiler on high.
Get your water boiling for the noodles.
In a large skillet, melt the butter and oil over medium high heat. Saute the onions and mushrooms for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and wine.
Allow to reduce about a minute. Now add the spinach. After one minute add the cream and bring to boil. Add the cheeses and stir until nice and bubbly (about 1 minute).
In a casserole dish add the cooked noodles and pour in the cheesy mushroom and onion mixture. Now add the pulled chicken, red pepper and paprika. Mix well and top with the mozzarella cheese. Place in a broiler until the top browns nicely forming a crusty cheesy top.
