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Do you have some leftover chicken, want to do something different, but it’s a weeknight and you don’t have a lot of time? How about a simple pasta – a Chicken Pasta Bake. Mix in a few additional left over vegetables and top with some cheese. Create some sauce and flavor through the addition of some Gourmet Stir-in-Pastes. Is this the third or fourth recipe this past week that I have used these Stir-in-Pastes? These pastes are in my fridge and I want to use them while they are still fresh.
Chicken Pasta Bake
They have good flavor and certainly are perfect for these weeknight meals when you do not have a lot of time to get dinner on the table. The pastes blend well with the cooking oil. Once the pastes are blended, the vegetables are added. In this recipe, onions are added for sweetness and the spinach is added for color and texture. The chicken had been grilled a couple nights before. So I chopped it up and simply reheated it in the skillet. The final addition in the skillet is a little bit of cheese. The dish gets its name from being finished off in a baking dish. The Chicken Pasta Bake is taken out of the skillet and placed in a baking dish. Then, topped with a generous amount of cheese and baked to a nice golden brown.
- 2 grilled chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bunch of fresh spinach
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon parsley stir-in-paste
- 1 tablespoon oregano stir-in-paste
- 1 tablespoon garlic stir-in-paste
- 1 tablespoon basil stir-in-paste
- 1/2 fresh lemon and its juice
- 1/3 cup smoked gouda, shredded
- 1/3 cup muenster cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup colby jack cheese, shredded
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Cook rigatoni according to box directions. Set aside.
- Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
- Heat oil on medium heat.
- Add onions and cook for 2 - 3 minutes.
- Add the stir-in-pastes and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add in spinach and wilt.
- Add chicken and reheat for 2 minutes.
- Add in the red pepper flakes and mix well.
- Next, add in the muenster and gouda cheeses. mix well.
- Add in the pasta water.
- Transfer to a baking dish.
- Top with the colby jack cheese.
- Place in a 325 degree oven for 5 minutes or so. You just want to get a good melt on the cheese.
- Serve and enjoy!
Ingredients
The stir-in-pastes, and then, the spinach and chicken added followed by the red pepper flakes and the lemon.
Stir-in-Paste in Pan
Chicken & Spinach Added
Red Pepper Flakes Added
Fresh Lemon Added
The cheese added to skillet; transferred to the baking dish and a final layer of cheese added.
Cheese Added in Skillet
Added to Baking Dish
Last Cheese Layer Added
The final Chicken Pasta Bake.
Chicken Pasta Bake Plated
Wow! I love mac and cheese…and this dish, with all the herbs, is just calling my name! Will be trying this soon.
This looks awesome! Like mac & cheese got bumped up a few notches! I’ve been adding more spinach to dishes like this, and the family has been liking it! So, I’m gonna try this!