Creamy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1/2 (16 ounce) package penne pasta
- 4 T butter,
- 2 C whipping cream
- 1 C whole milk
- 2 C parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 C rotisserie chicken, chopped
- 1/2 C chicken broth
- 1/8 t granulated garlic
- 1/2 t thyme
- 1/2 t oregano
- salt and pepper
- 1 C mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1/2 C panko crumbs (optional)
Directions
1. Boil yourself some water, salt it generously and cook half of a 16 ounce package of penne pasta.
2. In a large skillet melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat.
3. Add 2 cups whipping cream and 1 cup whole milk.
Sprinkle in 2 cups shredded parmesan cheese and stir it in with a nice wisk. Bring the mixture to a simmer, over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. The sauce will start to thicken after several minutes. Turn your oven on to the broil setting.
4. Find yourself a nice rotisserie chicken.
Remove the skin and take out the breast meat. Chop the chicken into medium-sized chunks. Toss the chicken into the sauce. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1/2 teaspoon thyme and 1/2 teaspoon oregano. Give it all a nice stir, taste it and add salt and pepper to your liking. Let it come to a simmer again and let the sauce cook for about 3-4 more minutes. You want the chicken to get nice and hot and the sauce to thicken just a bit.
5. Spray a 4 quart casserole dish (or a very deep 9×9 pan) with cooking spray. Place your cooked pasta into the dish and pour the sauce over the top.
6. Grate 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and sprinkle it all over the top of the saucy pasta.
7. If you like your pasta with a crispy top, then sprinkle 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs over the top of the mozzarella cheese.
8. Turn your oven to broil. When the oven is hot, pop the dish in. Watch it carefully here, you want to be sure not to let the panko crumbs get burned. When the cheese is bubbly and the crumbs are toasted (should only take about 5 minutes) remove the pan from the oven and serve immediately.
