CHEESY CHICKEN ALFREDO CASSEROLE

CHEESY CHICKEN ALFREDO CASSEROLE image

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

1 (8 oz) package regular or whole grain Penne pasta, cooked, al dente
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked or use about 3 cups rotisserie chicken
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon poultry seasoning
salt and pepper to taste, white pepper if you have it
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon onion, chopped
1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups half and half or fat free half & half
1 1/2 cups low fat milk
1 cup + 2/3 cup Italian Cheese Blend Cheese or Kraft Italian 5 cheese blend with Cream Cheese
Italian Seasoning for garnish

Steps:

Cook pasta according to package (al dente) then drain. While pasta is cooking, prepare the chicken. Using a 12-inch skillet or stove top grill heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Split the chicken breasts, so they're not too thick. This will help them cook more evenly. Make a mixture of salt, pepper, thyme and poultry seasoning and rub it on both sides of the chicken breasts. Add the chicken breasts to the skillet. Cook on both sides until cooked, browned and the juices run clear (about 10 minutes). Remove chicken to a plate, set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While chicken is cooling start on the sauce. In a separate large skillet melt the butter; add the onion and garlic and cook for 1 - 2 minutes. Add the flour and mix using a wire whisk. Mix until bubbly and starts to take on a bit of color. Add the half & half and milk; mix to combine. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce hit to medium and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add 2/3 cup of cheese and blend using a wire whisk. Cook mixture an additional 5 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken up. The sauce is thick enough when it coats the back of a spoon. Remove sauce from heat. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and add to a large bowl. Add the cooked and drained pasta and the sauce last. Mix everything to combine. Spray a 8 x 8 inch square baking pan with non stick spray. Add the pasta mixture to the pan and sprinkle with an additional 1 cup of cheese. Sprinkle with pepper and bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Garnish with a sprinkle of Italian seasoning.