Baked Chicken with Penne | Chicken Pasta Recipes

Baked Chicken with Penne Recipe

Similar recipes: Baked Chicken, Chicken Pasta, Penne

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
12 ounces chicken apple sausage, andouille, or other smoked sausage, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup diced cooked chicken
4 tablespoons flour
1 2/3 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
8 to 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, or 1 teaspoon dried leaf basil
3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning blend
Salt, to taste
Dash ground black pepper
3/4 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
8 ounces cooked penne pasta, drained

DIRECTIONS
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. While that’s being preheating, grease a 2 1/2 quart sized baking dish. Then in a pan, heat the olive oil and butter and once it’s melted together add the onion, red bell pepper and the sausage, keep stirring until the veggies are tender. Then add the garlic and the chicken. Continue cooking for another minute. Next, Add the flour and stir until it’s blended in. Pour in the chicken broth and stir well while it’s cooking. The liquid part should get thick! – Add the spinach, basil, cream and the cajun seasoning with salt & pepper for flavor. The final and best part is to add 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese with the mozzarella cheese. mmm… – Combine the sauce mix with the pasta then spoon it into the baking dish you first greased while the oven was preheating. Use the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan Cheese for topping and bake it for about 30 minutes. This dish serves 6 people, but 5 for really hungry people!