Day 184: Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

I tried something new for dinner tonight.  It was a bit more involved than I usually like to do, but I did make my own pasta sauce from scratch (aside from this Alfredo sauce I don't think I've done that before) and ended up with a full meal in the freezer that we can use next week.  AND, I didn't have to force my kids to eat it-which is saying a lot.  Everyone was munching away happily, especially Charlie.  I just served it with the good ol' stand-by: salad and garlic bread.  I was going to halve the recipe since it made so much and I didn't want to use so much milk, but once I got started, it was just easier to go with the original recipe.  I'm glad I did, since we all liked it so much and I got a freezer meal out of it.  Mine didn't really look like the picture, but since when does anything turn out the way Pinterest says it will.  There's a whole website dedicated to that, by the way.  Check out Pinstrosity for a good laugh some time.  

Pinterest Photo

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

• 6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 pound penne rigate 
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each), halved horizontally (I only had 1 breast, so I cubed it)
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
• 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 6 cups whole milk
• 10 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained (I couldn't find these anywhere, so I used an Italian blend diced tomatoes.  Sun dried would probably be a bit too distinct a flavor for my boys, but I love it)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded provolone (6 ounces) (I used an Italian blend that had provolone in it)
• 1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 6 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. If you’re going to freeze one, use a disposable foil pan.  In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta and set aside.
2. While pasta is boiling, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.  While chicken pan is still hot, toss the mushrooms in and saute until golden brown (3-4 minutes).  Use a little extra olive oil if needed.
3. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot , melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking constantly, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer.  Keep whisking frequently as sauce thickens, about 1 minute more. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat and and gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
4. Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes.  If freezing, place remaining Parmesan cheese in a zip-top baggie.  If cooking, sprinkle on top.
5. Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Freezer instructions:

To freeze, prepare through step 4 and then let pasta cool.  Cover pan well with plastic wrap.  Place extra cheese in baggie (for topping) on top and then cover entire pan well with foil.  Freeze for up to 3 months.  To bake, preheat oven to 400.  Remove foil and plastic from pan and set cheese baggie aside.  Place foil back on pan and bake for about 1 1/2 hours.  Remove foil, stir pasta, and top with cheese.  Return pan to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes (I only did 10 minutes)  or until mixture is hot and bubbly throughout.

The freezer instructions above are copied directly from Real Mom Kitchen.  I haven't made my frozen meal yet so I can't give my opinion on how long it takes or what it tastes like.  Yet.  :)