Baked Mediterranean Salmon Casserole

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
    
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, garlic and the mushrooms, sauté until soft.
    
3. Stir in the artichoke hearts and the flour and cook for 1 minute.
    
4. Pour in the milk and the heavy cream. Stir over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
    
5. In a large bowl, combine the egg noodles, salmon, green onions, ½ -cup Parmesan cheese and the sauce mixture.
    
6. Spray a 10-inch round casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Add noodle mixture and top with the bread crumbs, Italian seasoning and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.
    
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly and golden.

How to Make Panko Bread Crumbs

1. Panko makes delicious breading for fish or makes a great topping for casseroles.  You’ll need 7 slices of white bread, remove the crust.
    
2. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
    
3. Carefully push chunks of bread through the shredding disk of a food processor, to make coarse crumbs.
    
4. Spread the crumbs on a baking sheet and bake until the crumbs are dry but not toasted, about 8 to 10 minutes.
    
5. Shake the sheet twice during baking. Immediately remove the bread crumbs from the oven to cool. Once cooled, store in a re-sealable bag in the freezer.