Have you ever really enjoyed a dish at a restaurant and wished that you could make it in your own kitchen? What has stopped you? Maybe you weren’t exactly sure of the ingredients. Maybe you thought it was just too complicated, or you thought it might take too long. This recipe takes away all of those potentially intimidating factors and will allow you to make this dish with confidence.

Another great thing about cooking this dish in your own kitchen is that YOU are in total control of exactly what goes into the dish and what is left out. Who knows what really goes on behind the closed kitchen doors of restaurants?

 

INGREDIENTS

1 (16-ounce) package uncooked rotini pasta

1 (22-ounce) jar Alfredo sauce (about 2 ½ cups)

3 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 cups diced rotisserie chicken (or other diced cooked chicken)

1 (15-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, not drained

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 cup finely chopped onion (I use frozen diced onion as a shortcut)

1 tablespoon Cajun (or Creole) seasoning

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese

Optional: fresh parsley and/or sliced green onion, for garnish

 

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.

Take a 9×13-inch baking dish and add to it all of the ingredients except for the cheese. Stir to thoroughly combine. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil, and bake for 35 minutes.

After 35 minutes, uncover the dish and stir the ingredients well. Test the pasta to ensure it has reached the al dente level of doneness. It should be firm, but just about finished cooking. If the pasta is still hard, or there is still a lot of unabsorbed liquid, cover the dish tightly and return it to the oven. Do NOT move on to the next step until the pasta has reached the al dente level.

Once the pasta has reached the al dente level, sprinkle the cheese all over the top and bake with the dish uncovered for 5-10 minutes – just long enough for the cheese to melt and the pasta to become all the way tender. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley and green onion slices, if desired.

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Quick Tip:  What if you are not cooking for an army, or don’t want a huge amount of leftovers? No problem! This recipe can easily be reduced by one quarter or even one half and baked in a much smaller dish. You may have to shorten the total cooking time, so be sure to watch it carefully.

.Recipe and image courtesy of Blair at The Seasoned Mom