Garlicky Chicken and Shrimp Cream Sauce Pasta Dinner

Likkel's Note:

This recipe that I threw together one day became one of my son's favorite dinners and so I decided to serve it to company. Since then it has quickly become one of the dishes most requested by friends and family. It is easy to fix, but tastes like allot more time and effort went into it!

• Total Time: 25 mins
• Prep Time: 0 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 lb linguine, cooked according to package directions
• 2 chicken breasts, cubed
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup chicken broth (double strength)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro (if using fresh use 1 T. chopped) or 1/2 teaspoon thyme (if using fresh use 1 T. chopped)
• 1 (8 ounce) fat-free cream cheese (or regular)
• 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
• 8 ounces medium shrimp, cooked and peeled

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan, add garlic, red pepper and cubed chicken. Sauté until the chicken is no longer pink.
2. Sprinkle flour over the sautéed chicken and continue cooking, scraping up the browned bits from the chicken, until the flour just starts to turn a light brown. Add remaining seasonings and the chicken broth, stirring until sauce thickens.
3. Add cream cheese, cheddar and green chilies to the sauce. Stir until the sauce is smooth and heated through. Add shrimp, stirring gently again until the shrimp are heated as well. Serve sauce over cooked linguine or gentle fold linguine into the sauce to serve.