Cheese Baked Chicken Penne

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Make two dinners at once with this recipe for Cheese Baked Chicken Penne. One for tonight, and one for the freezer for another dinner.

  • 8
  • 25 mins
  • 25 mins

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
  • Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 pound penne rigate
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 8 ounces each, halved horizontally, can use leftover cooked chicken)
  • 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, can use 8 ounces of button mushrooms
  • 1 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded provolone, about 6 ounces, can use an italian blend that has provolone in it
  • 1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, about 6 ounces

Preparation

Step 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.

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, about 3-4 minutes. Use a little extra olive oil if needed. Since I used left over chicken, I just cooked the mushrooms in the olive oil.

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 gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.

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.

Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

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