Food Literacy Students
Looking for a Quick Nutritious Meal?
College life can be hectic and rushed leaving little time for you to eat, we get it! Follow along to make this quick and nutritious meal that can fit into your busy schedule. These step-by-step instructions won’t leave you feeling lost. And don’t worry, it will leave your tummy feeling satisfied.
First, gather all the ingredients. (You can find a detailed list of ingredients at the bottom of this post). Noodles, chicken, broccoli, mayo, cheese, olives, kidney beans, and Slap Ya Mama seasoning. Slap Ya Mama can be found at the grocery store, it’s a cajun seasoning that adds a hint of spice to your dish, but not overpoweringly hot. Don’t have broccoli? No worries substitute it for a vegetable you do have! (We know it’s tempting to leave the veggies out, but trust us, add one in! They can help your immune system stay healthy during your busy school schedule). Don’t like kidney beans? We understand, just add your favorite type of beans! This recipe is not only easy and fast but it’s also super flexible. Use what you have and save some of your money for your college funds.
This recipe is a great way to use a variety of ingredients in your meal (including veggies and canned chicken) and also how to use the oven. The process in making this dish was pretty straight forward. It mostly consisted of combining ingredients. Other than that, the noodles needed to be boiled and the whole casserole needed to be baked. We did not come across any other issues while preparing this dish.
Time management for this recipe was also super simple. Besides cooking the noodles, this recipe does not require very much attention at all. Once all the ingredients are combined, it just bakes in the oven until done. The only thing to manage is making sure not to overcook the casserole and to take it out of the oven on time.
Overall, the ingredients are very easy to find, and were very cheap. No recipe alterations had to be made, but like we mentioned prior veggies and beans are interchangeable to your preference. The hardest part, or the part that took the most time and effort, is boiling the noodles. Overall, it was very simple and easy to follow. We added more cheese than the recipe called for, and added plenty of Slap Ya Mama- all of which we would recommend. Serve fresh out of the oven so you can enjoy while hot 🙂
Cost Breakdown
Here’s the cost breakdown for this meal:
| Ingredient | Amount | Unit Cost of Ingredients | Recipe Cost of Ingredients |
| Chicken | 1 5 oz can | $1.26/ 5 oz can | $1.26 |
| Mayo | Couple Spoonfuls | $2.80/ 30 oz | $0.37 |
| Broccoli | 12 oz Frozen Broccoli | $0.98/ 12 oz | $0.98 |
| Olives | 2 5 oz cans | $1.67/ 10 oz | $1.67 |
| Kidney Beans | 1 15.5 oz can | $0.78/ 15.5 oz | $0.78 |
| Seasoning | 1 oz Slap Yo Mama | $3.93/ 8 oz | $0.37 |
| Noodles | 12 oz Rotini | $0.92/ 12 oz | $0.92 |
| Cheese | 1 cup | $2.22/ 8 oz | $2.22 |
| Total Cost | $8.57 | ||
| Total per serving (6 servings) | $1.07 |
Tips to Make this Cheaper
- Use canned food or generic brand ingredients.
- Use ingredients that have a long storage life and can be stored at home.
Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Description
This recipe turned out delicious. It was so simple to make, but the flavors paired together very nicely, and it turned out to be an easy, great, and filling meal that fed four of us, with leftovers.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Step 1: Gather ingredients, cook noodles, and preheat oven 350 degrees F. Cook noodles to package directions or until soft. Remove from heat and drain. Preheat oven to 350 degrees so it will be ready when it’s time to put the casserole in the oven.
- Step 2: Mix a couple big spoonfuls of Mayo with noodles in a large bowl. Make sure the noodles are all coated with a thin layer of Mayo!.
- Step 3: Add chicken, broccoli, olives, Slap Ya Mama seasoning, and kidney beans to the mixture. Mix together. Make sure it is well blended.
- Step 4: Put the mixture in a pan, and cover the top with cheese. Sprinkle the cheese generously over the casserole covering the top and all corners of the pan.
- Step 5: Put in oven and cook for about 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Your casserole is almost complete, pop that dish in the oven and set the time for 15 minutes. While you’re waiting for your casserole, we suggest killing two birds with one stone and washing anything you got dirty while preparing the dish. Once your timer goes off the cheese should be perfectly melted.
- Step 6: Enjoy! Now for the best part, grab a plate, scoop out a portion and enjoy😊
Notes
- Slap Ya Mama can be found at the grocery store, it’s a Cajun seasoning that adds a hint of spice to your dish, but not overpoweringly hot.
- Don’t have broccoli? No worries substitute it for a vegetable you do have! (We know it’s tempting to leave the veggies out, but trust us, add one in!)
- Don’t like kidney beans? We understand, just add your favorite type of beans! This recipe is not only easy and fast but it’s also super flexible. Use what you have and save some of your money for your college funds.
