Recipe Friday: Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

This week's recipe is for Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne, which is perfect on a cold autumn night. The recipe was developed by Our Best Bites that they adapted from Martha Stewart.

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

Ingredients:

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

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

1 1/2 cups shredded provolone (6 ounces)  (or Italian blend which contains provolone, mozzarella, and other white cheeses)

1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 6 ounces)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes.
• 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 (3-4 minutes).  Use a little extra olive oil if needed.
• In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot (I just use the pot I cooked my pasta in), melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking for 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 shredded cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
• Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes.  Sprinkle remaining Parmesan on top.
• Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Creativity Bug ~ Sue