Cheesy Chicken Pasta

 

 

This recipe I am sharing with you today for a simple cheesy pasta is sure to get the family's approval. Not only is it quick and easy to make, but it is also very delicious. 

This is one that will have the family licking their chops.  And you won't mind either because it is designed to get you in and out of the kitchen pronto with supper being on the table in about half an hour tops! 

 

The gooey melted cheese and tender pieces of chicken in this easy pasta recipe will have everyone scrambling for seconds!  Quick and easy to make this is the perfect weeknight supper and is even a supper that you can cook out at the camp!

Very easily done on top of the stove or on the camp stove, it is destined to become a real favorite with everyone.

 

I had to prepare some meals to take to a member of my church who just had an operation this past weekend and one of the meals I chose to take was this quick and easy pasta dish. It was very well received.

For the smaller family it is very easy to divide half of this tasty dish into a freezer container and pop it into the freezer to enjoy at a later date. 

Quick, easy and simple to make. Who says delicious needs to be complicated?

 

    WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CHEESY CHICKEN PASTA

This is a simple store cupboard meal that goes together very quickly. You can either use a can of chicken (I get mine from Costco and always have some in my cupboard) or you can use leftover cooked chicken or poach chicken specifically for just this purpose. Its up to you!

• 8 ounces (2 cups/227g) fusilli pasta
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup diced red peppers (about 1/2 medium red pepper)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups (355ml) milk
• 3 cups (362g) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 - 12.5 ounce can chunk chicken breast, drained well (or 1 ½ - 2 cups shredded cooked chicken)
• 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning powder
• pepper to taste

 

You don't need to use fusilli specifically to make this stovetop wonder. You can use Penne, Radiatore, Malfalda, even macaroni. What you want to use is a pasta that is going to hug the sauce and grab onto it.

If you are not fond of red peppers, you can use green peppers, or even multicolored peppers. If you don't like peppers, why not use a different vegetable such as crispy tender broccoli or even zucchini?  What you are trying to do here is add a bit of color, crunch and fiber.  

Choose a vegetable that goes well with cheese! (And chicken!)

 

I have used colored cheddar cheese here today, medium strength, but you could also use cheddar jack if you wanted to, or a combination of the two. 

I use whole milk. It adds a lovely rich flavor so the sauce, but you can also make it with 2% or semi-skimmed milk. Just don't use skimmed milk.

 

Ranch seasoning is the powdered seasoning mix that you can buy to make ranch dressing with. If you can't get that it is perfectly okay to leave it out altogether. You can use a few other herbs to flavor it if you want to. 

A good combination would be onion powder, oregano and basil. Just season to taste.  You might also need to add some salt if you are leaving the ranch seasoning out. 

 

HOW TO MAKE CHEESY CHICKEN PASTA

Nothing could be any easier than this.  

Cook your pasta to al dente in a pan of lightly salted water according to the package directions. Drain well, rinse under cold water, drain again. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the chopped peppers. Sauté for several minutes, stirring frequently, until beginning to soften slightly.

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Whisk in the flour. Cook for one minute. Slowly whisk in the milk. Cook, over medium heat, stirring until the mixture begins to thicken. Cook for a minute to cook out any flour taste.

 

Stir in 2 cups (240g) of the cheese. Stir to melt the cheese. You should have a nice thick creamy sauce. Whisk in the ranch seasoning. Season to taste with black pepper.

Stir in the pasta, cooked chicken and 3/4 cup (90 grams) of the cheese to combine. Take off the heat.

Scatter the remaining cheese over top. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes or so to allow the cheese on top to melt. Serve immediately.

In the hot summer months I like to cook either in my slow cooker, air fryer, BBQ or in a skillet. I have an electric skillet which works really well.  Skillet meals usually go together very quickly and easily and are quite delicious.  

If you are a fan of the skillet meal, you might also enjoy the following: 

SAUSAGE AND VEGETABLE SKILLET DINNER - Meals where I can cook everything in one pan are my favorite kinds of meals!  This one pan Sausage and Vegetable Skillet Dinner is really delicious! Not only do you end up with some perfectly cooked sausages, but also potatoes and two vegetables to enjoy on the side!

SKILLET CHICKEN PARMESAN - This tasty skillet chicken parmesan has all the flavors of  the original, full sized recipe, with with far less mess and work. Its also deliciously ready in half the time. No fuss, no muss! 

CHEESY TUNA SKILLET PASTA - This Cheesy Tuna Pasta is just like your favorite Tuna Casserole, except it is cooked in a skillet.  Amazingly there is no need to cook the pasta first. The pasta cooks right in the pan with everything else. This also helps to cut down on the washing up! I am all for that!

Cheesy Chicken Pasta

Yield: 6

Author: Marie Rayner

Cook time: 30 MinTotal time: 30 Min

A simple stove top supper that the whole family will love. For the smaller family you can easily cut the amounts in half, or pop half of it into a freezer container and freeze it for another day. Quick, easy and delicious

Ingredients

• 8 ounces (2 cups/227g) fusilli pasta
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup diced red peppers (about 1/2 medium red pepper)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups (355ml) milk
• 3 cups (362g) shredded cheddar jack cheese, divided
• 1 - 12.5 ounce can chunk chicken breast, drained well (or 1 ½ - 2 cups shredded cooked chicken)
• 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning powder
• pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook your pasta to al dente in a pan of lightly salted water according to the package directions. Drain well, rinse under cold water, drain again. Set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the chopped peppers. Sauté for several minutes, stirring frequently, until beginning to soften slightly.
3. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Whisk in the flour. Cook for one minute. Slowly whisk in the milk. Cook, over medium heat, stirring until the mixture begins to thicken. Cook for a minute to cook out any flour taste.
4. Stir in 2 cups (240g) of the cheese. Stir to melt the cheese. You should have a nice thick creamy sauce. Whisk in the ranch seasoning. Season to taste with black pepper.
5. Stir in the pasta, cooked chicken and 3/4 cup (90 grams) of the cheese to combine. Take off the heat.
6. Scatter the remaining cheese over top. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes or so to allow the cheese on top to melt. Serve immediately.

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