Chicken Penne Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes & Mushrooms

I love love love pastas and I love anything that can be lightened up and even frozen for future use. I found a recipe that was similar to this, but I did make quite a few changes.

I will note, that the end result tasted good but I felt like the sauce was a bit thin. Might have needed more flour and less milk.

Anyways, it still tasted yummy and I'll make note of any changes I would make for next time :)

~ Ingredients ~

Serves about 6 (we did two servings per container and froze two of them *pictured below)

• 6 tbsp butter plus some for buttering the dishes
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 lb penne (or your favorite noodle)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken
• 1/2 cup flour (could use about 2/3 cup)
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 5 cups milk (I would use 5 instead of 6, which is what I originally used)
• 10 oz mushrooms chopped
• 1/2 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced
• 1 1/2 cup (or 6 oz) of shredded white cheddar (you can use your cheese of choice)
• 1 cup (or 4 oz) of finely grated Parmesan

~ Directions ~ 

First things first, preheat your oven for 400 degrees (204 C).

Next, butter 3 two portion serving dishes or 1 large casserole dish. We did a small oven-safe dish and 2 freezer containers that are also oven-safe. These can be found in the baking section of the grocery store or the area where they have paper plates and Ziploc bags.

For the chicken, we cleaned it and then cut it into strips that were about 1 inch x 2 inches (3 cm x 6 cm). You could cube it if that is easier. You can see it in the photo above.

Cook the chicken in a large non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Heat the oil in the pan first and season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Start a pot of boiling water with a pinch of salt. Cook your pasta until it is al dente. Drain and set aside in a separate bowl.

In the pot that just contained the pasta, melt the butter over medium. Then add the flour and garlic, whisking for 1 minute. 

While whisking, slowly add the milk and bring to a simmer. Whisk frequently. 

Add the tomatoes and let simmer for about 4-5 minutes.

Add the mushrooms, cook for another minute then remove from heat.

Add in the cheddar and half of the Parmesan. Mix until smooth. Should look like the photo below.  

Add the chicken and pasta to the pot and season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Divide the pasta mixture between the dishes (if needed) or put it all in the large casserole dish. Sprinkle the top with the extra Parmesan.

**If you are freezing any portions, put them in the fridge to cool off at this point. After about an hour, put them in the freezer. They should be good for about 2 months. To cook, thaw a portion in fridge for about 3-4 hours then cook (covered) for a minimum of 60 minutes at 400 degrees. The cooking time will depend on the size and depth of your dish. Check it at 30, 45, and 60 minutes until you feel it is ready.

Finish the pasta by baking it uncovered until the top is bubbly and golden brown. This will take about 25-30 minutes. Let it stand 5 minutes before serving.


~ For Next Time ~

• I would use 5 cups of milk instead of 6 cups.
• I would use 2/3 cup flour instead of 1/2 cup.