Chicken Divine

Peter and I have come to enjoy this recipe. Not only is it relatively inexpensive (especially if you purchase cheap pasta and cheap wine) it is also yummy. It can also be easily assembled and then taken to a sick/new-parents/or-otherwise-indisposed-person and they can just stick it in the frig till the want to cook it for 30+ min.

Ingredients

2 Packages frozen broccoli – thawed
2 tsp olive oil
1 Md onion
¼ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp pepper
½ cup dry white wine
1 jar Alfredo sauce (larger – 1lb - is better)
2 cups grated gouda (smoked or otherwise)
½ cup milk
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
4 cups cooked penne (one largish box)
3 cups cooked chicken
¼ cup Italian bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Squeeze out excess liquid of thawed broccoli
3. Heat olive oil – add onion, thyme, salt, pepper
4. Add wine, increase heat to high – cook till liquid has evaporated (2-3 min) then remove from heat
5. Stir in Alfredo sauce, ½ cup cheese, milk, and nutmeg
6. Stir in cooked pasta, broccoli, and chicken, and mix
7. Transfer to an large baking dish
8. Top with remaining cheese and bread crumbs
9. Sprinkle with paprika, cover with foil, bake for 30 min
10. Uncover and bake until golden brown (10-15 min)


NOTE: Typically I season the chicken with extra thyme and fresh garlic. I also use more cheese then they call for. I also don’t cook the liquid down very much because I find that if you do the noodles will get a little dry, thus the reason I also say to use a larger jar of Alfredo. While the recipe calls for 4 cups pasta I always make a largish box which is more then 4 cups (stretches the meal). Also, I rarely remember the nutmeg and it is still good AND never follow those precise measurements for the seasonings. *grin* END NOTE.