One Pot Meal: Man-Pleasing BBQ Chicken Pasta Recipe

By Foodiewife

One pot meals has recently ramped up as one of my favorite ways to cook weeknight meal. While dinner is cooking, I can clean up the kitchen. By the time we sit down to eat, all I have to think about is enjoying my dinner and putting the plates into the dishwasher. This pasta dish fit the bill, because this dish has some of my husband's favorite ingredients. Bacon. Onion. BBQ sauce. Best of all, this dinner comes together in no time flat, because the pasta is cooked in the same pot, at the same time! Did I also mention that it's delicious? (Recipe source: "Damn Delicious" Food blog.)

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more, to taste
• 3 cups rotini pasta
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, or more, to taste
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Preparation

Step 1

Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat.

Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes; drain excess fat, reserving 1 tablespoon.

Stir in chicken and cook until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring often, until onions have become translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, milk, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper, to taste.

Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 13 to 16 minutes*.

Stir in barbecue sauce and cheese until heated through, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Serve immediately. (leftovers reheat well)

*Cooking time will vary. Check the pasta before adding in the BBQ sauce and cheese. Also, removing the lid for the last few minutes, might help to reduce the amount of liquid left behind.