~ Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake ~ Very quick, easy, and very versatile. (You can add any other ingredients such as mushrooms, veggies, etc.!) Ingredients: 10 ounces dry pasta (I used Rotini.) 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 4 ounces chive and onion cream cheese 1 cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt) 1 cup milk 1/4 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper Pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional) 1 & 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach 2 cups COOKED chicken (cubed or shredded) (about 2 boneless chicken breasts) 1/2 cup fresh tomatoes, cut into large chunks (I used grape tomatoes sliced in half) Fresh basil or parsley, for garnish Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat your 9 x 13 casserole dish with non-stick spray or olive oil. Cook pasta in salted, boiling water to al dente. Drain and set aside. While pasta is cooking, heat butter in a medium sauté pan set to medium heat. Add in the onion and garlic. Cook for 3 - 5 minutes to slightly soften veggies. Do not brown!! Add in cream cheese and stir to melt. Reduce heat to low. Stir in sour cream, milk, Parmesan cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes (if using.) Stir until everything is well-combined and melted. Turn off heat. Combine the pasta, chicken, spinach and tomatoes in a large bowl. Add in the sauce and gently stir to coat. Pour into the prepared baking dish. (I drizzled in a little more milk over the mixture once it was in the baking dish because it looked a little dry to me.) Top with the remaining mozzarella. Bake uncovered for about 20 -25 minutes ... or until casserole is bubbly and beginning to brown. Top with basil or parsley for garnish and enjoy! ;-)
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 04:58:13 +0000
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