Friday, March 15, 2013

Cheesy Chicken Florentine with Pasta

In order to stretch a cooked chicken as far as its little poultry wings will go, I have been testing recipes that use cooked chicken. This is quickly becoming a family favorite.

1/3 of a cooked chicken
1 box of tri-color rotini pasta (ours is from Aldi)
1 large cup of frozen chicken broth (32 oz worth)
1/2 cup, more or less to taste, chopped bell pepper and onion
1 box (8 oz) cream cheese
2 big handsful baby spinach leaves (about one bag of pre-washed leaves)
2-4 tablespoons of flour
2, 15-oz cans of stewed tomatoes, juices reserved

Melt the frozen chicken broth in a large saucepan or deep skillet-type pan. Once it's thoroughly melted, set it aside. Use either no-stick cooking spray or a very small amount of olive oil to saute the bell pepper and onion. Once they are crisp-tender, add the stock back in and season to your taste. I always season with garlic powder and black pepper. Add the stewed tomatoes and cook on medium heat until reduced by half. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packaged directions.
Once the tomato-broth-onion mixture is reduced by half, add in the previously cooked chicken. Add in the cream cheese and stir to melt and fully incorporate the cheese. Whisk the flour into the reserved tomato juice and add to the chicken mixture. Add the cooked pasta to the chicken mixture. Just before serving, add the spinach and cook just until it wilts, about 2 minutes.
Serve with sprinkle cheese (parmesan/romano or a blend).
This recipe is a very adaptable recipe. If you don't like spinach, just omit it. It's good with broccoli or green beans, too. Like more onion/pepper/garlic? Add it. Want it thicker? use more flour. Want it thinner? don't use the flour/tomato juice mixture. More chicken? Less chicken? Not chicken? it's all up to you.
If you change this and like it, let me know in the comments. I'd like to try YOUR version!

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