For some, casseroles are a no-no. I am not one of those people. I love a casserole, especially on these nearly fall nights where the coolness starts to creep into the air just at the end of the workday.
This recipe for Cashew Chicken Bake was not what I expected from the name alone. I think perhaps I had gone by it in the recipe book several times because I expected it to be some variation of Cashew Chicken from our local Chinese buffet. Not that I don't like the buffet mind you, but those dishes are only on my menu with limited frequency. Instead, this dish is a casserole--meat, carb, and binding agent. Oh, and cheese, a prereq for any good casserole in my book.
This was an easy casserole to throw together early in the day and then pop in the oven at dinner time. My little one helped stir all the ingredients together (she stirred and stirred and stirred) while I chopped, measured and poured.
The Beans and Weenies modifications:
1. I used carrots instead of celery--I forgot to buy celery and we like carrots much better anyway. I like the extra color they added.
2. Colby Jack cheese instead of Cheddar. It's what I had. The cheddar would probably add a sharper flavor, but the Co-Jack worked fine.
3. Light mayo--it works fine and I don't need hidden calories.
4. Dried minced onion--I'll admit I was lazy and didn't feel like getting out a whole onion to grate a tablespoon. The minced worked find and saves time.
I'm making this again! It was nice to have casseroley flavor without a cream-of soup. I'm always looking for a reason to keep cashews on hand!
This recipe for Cashew Chicken Bake was not what I expected from the name alone. I think perhaps I had gone by it in the recipe book several times because I expected it to be some variation of Cashew Chicken from our local Chinese buffet. Not that I don't like the buffet mind you, but those dishes are only on my menu with limited frequency. Instead, this dish is a casserole--meat, carb, and binding agent. Oh, and cheese, a prereq for any good casserole in my book.
This was an easy casserole to throw together early in the day and then pop in the oven at dinner time. My little one helped stir all the ingredients together (she stirred and stirred and stirred) while I chopped, measured and poured.
The Beans and Weenies modifications:
1. I used carrots instead of celery--I forgot to buy celery and we like carrots much better anyway. I like the extra color they added.
2. Colby Jack cheese instead of Cheddar. It's what I had. The cheddar would probably add a sharper flavor, but the Co-Jack worked fine.
3. Light mayo--it works fine and I don't need hidden calories.
4. Dried minced onion--I'll admit I was lazy and didn't feel like getting out a whole onion to grate a tablespoon. The minced worked find and saves time.
I'm making this again! It was nice to have casseroley flavor without a cream-of soup. I'm always looking for a reason to keep cashews on hand!
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