Travel Excuse #24: Your Fridge Needs Cleaning Out

The day before you leave to go on a trip there's always the question of what to do with stuff in your fridge. Then there's the day you come home and there's nothing in the house to eat, at least not anything you feel like making. Here's a good cleaning-out-the-fridge recipe that you can bake and freeze for your homecoming. It's also a good family reunion covered dish.

Leftover Chicken Broccoli Casserole

• Start with some leftovers:

1 cup diced or shredded chicken (left overs from the day before the day before you travel, perhaps?)

2-3 cups fresh broccoli (or whatever amount you need to get rid of), cut to bite size, then blanched in boiling water for about a minute

1 cup sliced or shredded carrots (again, use whatever you have)

1 cup of any kind of pasta you have on hand, cooked just until tender Tip: cook the pasta in the water you used for blanching the broccoli.

Leftover spinach or thinly sliced squash if available to use as a center layer.

• Sauce:

1 can cream of chicken soup

About a cup of cottage cheese (you really don't want that still sitting in the fridge when you come home, do you?

About a half cup of sour cream

2 heaping tablespoons Mayonnaise

About a cup of shredded cheddar cheese (if you only have a cup then set some aside for topping)

About a cup of shredded mozzarella cheese if available

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

Mix the leftovers (except the spinach or squash) together in a large bowl, then stir in the sauce.

Pour half of the combined mixture into a greased 9x13 casserole dish.

Top with a layer of spinach or squash, then cover with the remainder of the mixture.

Top the whole casserole with shredded cheddar cheese then some bread crumbs or crushed croutons if you have them.

Bake for about an hour uncovered at 350 degrees until bubbly.

You can get creative with this dish. Got peas? How about green beans? Consider celery, onion, or bell peppers if you have some you need to clear out. Almost any cheese will work in the combo as well.