Chicken and Pasta Bake

We were picking up my sister-in-law at the airport and I wanted to have something she would enjoy, ready for dinner, when we got home. We had some roasted chicken left from the night before, so that was my answer. Instead of the oven, I used a crock pot, since we would be gone three hours.

Chicken and Pasta Bake

3 to 4 cups of cut up chicken

1 Tabls. minced garlic

1 to 2 cups of fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 med onion, sliced

2 Tabls. olive oil, (I used Cat Cora’s which is a great choice)

1 pound of Italian Fusilli Organic Whole Wheat Pasta (you could substitute any pasta)

1 cup of fresh or frozen peas

1 jar (about 2 cups) of Béchamel sauce (if had just been us, I would have used light cream of mushroom soup)

1 jar (about 2 cups) of white wine (I used Roche Chardonnay Carneros)

1 cup white and yellow cheddar cheese (shredded)

Method:

Cook the pasta for about 6 minutes in boiling water.

Add the peas and cook another 2 minutes, then drain well.

While the pasta is cooking, saute the sliced mushrooms, onions, and minced garlic.

Add the chicken to just warm a little.

Mix drained pasta and peas with all the other ingredients except cheese.

Put in a casserole dish or crock pot.

For Baking: Preheat oven to 375 and bake for 45 minutes to an hour.

For Crock Pot: Cook on low for 3 hours.

Before you are ready to serve, put cheese on top to let broil for a minute. If crock pot, just put the lid on for a couple of minutes.

Note:

You can also serve Parmesan cheese on the side.

This was ideal for our guest. If I were preparing it again, I’d add a jar of drained pimentos or drained green chilies. Or I dice a green pepper and red pepper and add before baking to spice it up.

I paired this with the Roche 09 Chardonnay Carneros from Roche Winery, Petaluma Sonoma County, CA.

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