It was fairly easy to make. The hardest part is whisking while the milk sauce thickens. That is just one thing I really could skip, but I know it would come out clumpy and watery if I don't. Trust me and whisk, whisk, whisk so you get a nice smooth, creamy texture! I learned this the hard way a loooooong time ago ;)
Look at all that ooey gooey goodness! |
Cheesy Chicken Pasta with Tomatoes and Mushrooms
6 TBS Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 lb Pasta (I used Macaroni)
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (halved horizontally so they are thin)
1/2 Cup + 2 TBS Flour
2 TBS Minced Garlic or about 4 cloves
6 Cups Milk (I used whole)
1 10-oz Package of Mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
2 14-oz Cans of Diced Tomatoes, drained
1 Package of Mozzarella Cheese (about 2 cups)
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Prepare noodles as directed on package except cook 3 minutes short of al dente, drain pasta
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook for 3-5 minutes per side or until done. Remove chicken, dice, and set aside
- In a large heavy pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and flour, whisk, and cook for about 1 minute
- Slowly add milk to pot whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer, continue whisking, and cook until thickened about 1 minute
- Add mushrooms and tomatoes and cook for another minute or two
- Remove pot from heat and stir in mozzarella cheese
- Add chicken and pasta, mix well
- Transfer to a large 9x13 glass baking dish and top with parmesan cheese
- Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly
- Let rest for 5 minutes to thicken and serve!
Everyone seemed to enjoy this. I will add a little salt to the mixture if I use mozzarella again, but it was good without it. If you use provolone it has a stronger flavor than mozzarella does so you wouldn't need any extra "flavor bump". This made a TON so we will be having leftovers for sure. I also suggest setting the pan on a baking sheet because this bubbled over a bit and it saves on cleaning up. I also have the bottom of my oven lined with heavy duty Reynold's wrap to save on oven clean up. I really hate cleaning the oven so that is my little tip of the night ;)
Simple, good, and comforting. We will definitely have this again. I want to try it with provolone because I am sure that would make it even better. YUM!
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