By Kathy Hamman Miller

Ingredients:

Base:

16 ounces bag of extra wide egg noodles

Olive oil to coat large stock pot – about 3 tablespoons

1 tablespoon minced garlic

10 ounces sliced mushrooms

1/2 large onion diced

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Pepper

1/2 cup flour

3 cups chicken broth

1 chicken bouillon cube

3 cups milk of choice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 – 5 ounce cans of pulled apart and drained tuna, chicken, or salmon. You can add crispy fried hamburger to this also, just change the broth and bouillon flavor to beef.

4 cups chopped fresh spinach (around 1/2 of a 4 oz. bag)

Topping:

1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs

4 tablespoons butter, melted

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and coat your 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.

In a large stock pot, bring the water to a boil, cooking the egg noodles for just 10 minutes. They will be Al Dente (almost cooked), but will finish up in the baking process.

Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process for now, and drain. Put the dry, empty stock pot back on the stove, lightly coating the bottom with olive oil. Add the chopped onion and garlic, cook, stirring occasionally until softened. Stir in mushrooms, spinach, salt, pepper, and soy sauce cooking until the liquid is evaporated about 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables stirring to dissolve, cooking for about 30 seconds.

Add the 3 cups of broth, bouillon cube, mustard, stirring until incorporated. Add the milk stirring until thickened nicely. Now add the lean meat and noodles stirring until heated through. Transfer to the baking dish.

In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, with the melted butter, mixing in the shredded cheese, sprinkle over the top of the casserole. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden brown. Enjoy!