Cheesy Chicken Casserole

preheat oven to 350*

5 roasted boneless skinless chicken breasts shredded(it seems that my whole life is divided into fifths, I would recommend a breast per person)

6 T. salted butter(I highly believe that this will make or break the recipe. If you use margarine, it DOES matter)

6 T. all purpose flour

2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

3 cups milk

1/2 cup mayo

2 tsp. lemon juice

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

6-8 pats of butter

1 lb. cooked pasta(I prefer Barilla campanelle, but that is for looks only)

1/4 cup panko lemon pepper bread crumbs

This is a very simple and versatile recipe that is a HUGE hit at my house. The roux that I use in this recipe is from a recipe that was handed down to me by my step-mom and I just love it! You can either make this exactly as I do or use this recipe as a base and change it up to your liking. If you don't think you'll like the hint of lemon in the bread crumbs, then use regular or italian or none at all. I think it adds a wonderful flavor to the dish. I have one at my house that doesn't like them so I just omit them from a small section of the dish. The same goes for the chicken. I usually make the chicken ahead of time and this works very well for me. You can use leftover chicken, but make sure that it is a dish that had flavor and that everyone liked. I roast the chicken with lots of herbs and spices because that is the flavor that we like. I also shred the chicken back into the roasting pan so I don't lose any of the yummy crispy parts that may be left in the pan. These little things are important. I hate bland food. Sauces should have lots of flavors mixed together to form something completely their own.

In a saucepan, melt the 6 T. butter and then add the 6 T. flour, salt & pepper. Gradually stir in the milk and continue stirring until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and add mayo, lemon juice and half the cheese. Stir until blended. To the cheese sauce add shredded chicken and cooked pasta and mix until coated. Pour into buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Next, sprinkle bread crumbs and then randomly place pats of butter. Place in 350* oven for about 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden. Be careful not to overcook this recipe. Everything in it is pre-cooked. You are just helping the flavors come together by heating it up one last time. The last thing you want to do is dry it out. I usually serve this with a salad and a side of roasted green beans, but tonight..................it's canned peas. What can I say? I'm lazy!