by Lindsay Weiss posted in Life & Home

This is my new favorite meal to bring to, well...anyone. It's all the goodness of chicken noodle soup wrapped up in a warm blanket of white sauce (think alfredo-ish), but it's not too rich or heavy.
The secret to making this taste so good is to boil the pasta in chicken broth. You absolutely, positively must do this. If you don't have a bunch of homemade stock on hand (and let's face it, not many of us do), you don't have to spend a fortune buying a ton of ready-made broth from the store. Just buy a box of chicken bouillon cubes and throw them in your big stock pot of water. Super easy and it makes a world of difference in flavor.
You can make this ahead of time and freeze it. Since this recipe makes a 9x13, I usually do two 8x8 pans and cook one/freeze one. Such a great meal to pull out of the freezer and have on hand for dinner. This dish also reheats beautifully and is a winner in lunch boxes too!
Looking for more Sweets and Eats for the Whole Family" Find Lindsay at Sugar Mama.

Baked Chicken Noodle Pasta

I sometimes throw in frozen peas and corn too, because my kids like them in chicken soup. Up to you!
16 oz fusili pasta cooked in chicken broth

2 bay leaves

3 TBSPs unsalted butter

6 celery stalks, diced

6 medium carrots, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 cups milk (any kind)

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried basil

salt and pepper, to taste

3 cups cooked shredded chicken

2 1/2 cup...