Asparagus and chicken noodle casserole

Chef John has done it again - another great little recipe that is a real pleaser. He makes great use of a seasonal vegetable that’s in all the markets right now, and one that I love - asparagus. Coupled with chicken, noodles and a tasty sauce, this dish makes a pretty presentation, feeds a gangful, and second helpings are mandatory.

I altered a few ingredients to make this dairy-free friendly: instead of 3 cups of milk and a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, I used 2 cups of soy milk plus 1 1/2 cups of Imagine Creamy Portobello Mushroom Soup, which is conveniently dairy-free. Margarine was substituted for butter, and soy cheddar cheese used in place of real cheddar. Here’s the ingredients below, or you can see Chef John’s on his site:

Asparagus and chicken noodle casserole:

2 tablespoons margarine

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups soy milk

1 1/2 cups Imagine Creamy Portobello soup

cayenne and salt to taste

8 ounces dry wide egg noodles

2 bunches asparagus

4 cooked chicken breasts

6 ounces soy cheddar cheese

3/4 cup bread crumbs

2 tablespoons olive oil

Here’s a helpful little video to guide you through the preparation (I LOVE these videos, and Chef John’s little comments, too)

And here’s my finished product. Enjoy!