Recipe of the day: Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1 packet pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup cream cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup whole milk, heavy cream
- 1/2 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach
- 2 cups cooked chicken (cubed or shredded)
- 1/2 cup fresh tomatoes, cut into large chunks (I used grape tomatoes sliced in half)
- Fresh basil or parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Coat a medium casserole dish with non-stick spray.
- Cook pasta in salted, boiling water to al dente. Drain and set aside.
- While pasta is cooking, heat butter in a medium saute pan set to medium heat. Add in the onion and garlic. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes to slightly soften veggies. Do not brown.
- Add in cream cheese and stir to melt. Reduce heat to low. Stir in sour cream, milk, Parmesan cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir until everything is well-combined and melted. Turn off heat.
- Combine the pasta, chicken, spinach and tomatoes in a large bowl.
- Add in the sauce and gently stir to coat.
- Pour into the prepared baking dish. (I drizzled in a little more half-and-half over the mixture once it was in the baking dish because it looked a little dry to me.)
- Top with the remaining mozzarella.
- Bake uncovered for about 20 -25 minutes ... or until casserole is bubbly and beginning to brown. Top with basil or parsley for garnish.
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