Old Fashioned Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 1 whole fryer chicken
1-12oz. package spaghetti noodles
1-16oz. (1lb) package Velveeta cheese, cubed
1-10.5oz. can cream of chicken soup
1-14oz. can chicken broth or 2 cups reserved broth
1/2 cup butter
1-8oz. package shredded mild or sharp Cheddar cheese
1 small onion, chopped
3-4 celery ribs, chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped

Fill a big stock pot with water. Clean and rinse whole fryer or chicken pieces. Add chicken. Add a little seasoning salt, pepper and poultry seasoning while the chicken cooks, if desired. Wash hands after handling the chicken. Let the chicken come to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until chicken is done. Cook whole fryers about 2 hours and chicken breasts or pieces 45-50 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and place on a plate to cool. Drain the broth through a strainer and reserve.

Cook the spaghetti per package directions, but instead of cooking the spaghetti in water, use the reserved broth. Add spaghetti and bring to a boil, reduce heat adn simmer noodles until al dente.

While spaghetti noodles are cooking, start deboning the chicken (if it is cook enough to handle), or break chicken breasts into smaller pieces.

Chop up all the vegetables and set aside.

Melt butter in a small skillet and add the vegetables. Saute until vegetables are tender and translucent in color.

When noodles are done, drain and set aside. If you are not using canned chicken broth, reserve 2 cups of the cooked broth.

In a large bowl, combine Velveeta cheese, chicken broth and cream of chicken soup. Place in the microwave and cook on low for 5-7 minutes or until mixture is smooth and cheese is melted. (You can also use the defrost setting.) To the cheese mixture, add cooked vegetables with butter, spaghetti noodles and chicken pieces. STir to combine.

Spray a 9-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and add combined mixture. Top finished casserole with 8oz. of shredded Cheddar cheese. Place casserole in a preheated 350* oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and casserole is bubbly. Remove from oven, let cool, and serve.

Time saver note: If a 9x13-inch dish is too big for your family, youc an prepare 2 8x8-inch size dishes instead. Serve one for dinner and freeze the second one for a quick meal another night. To freeze, assemble the casserole, then cover the unbaked casserole with plastic wrap, and two layers of foil. Date and place in the freezer. To cook, remove casserole from the freezer. Defrost and proceed with baking instructions.