Cheesy Chicken Penne

Submitted by Gods_sugarcookie

"This warm, yummy, Italian-lover dish came about when my cousin asked my mom, "Can we have something with cheese and pasta in it?" Yeah mom!"

 

• Ready In: 40mins
• Ingredients: 9
• Yields: 8 squares
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 1 (1 lb) box penne
• 4 large boneless chicken breasts, thawed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 (26 ounce) jar marinara sauce
• 1⁄4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup onion, chopped
• 1 1⁄2 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

directions

1. Fill a large pot with water and cook penne according to directions on box.
2. Meanwhile, chop the thawed chicken into bite-size strips. Set aside.
3. When the penne is done, drain and set aside; heat the pot with the olive oil and let the oil get really hot.
4. Add just under 1 TBSP of fresh minced garlic and add basil and onion. Stir around a bit and add the chicken. Sprinkle with salt and then sprinkle a lot of garlic salt. Add a little ground black pepper.
5. Stir fry until chicken is no longer pink, around 5 minutes; do not overcook, as the chicken will get tough!
6. Spoon the chicken into the bottom of a casserole dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray; glass looks really pretty. Spread penne evenly over that.
7. Pour marinara sauce over all and sprinkle mozzarella cheese over that. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over everything, it should just be a thin layer.
8. Bake at 300°F until cheese melts, about 9-15 minutes.

Reviews

[Pixies Kitchen]

This was an awesome and very simple recipe. I used a marinara sauce with mushrooms in it and I sliced the chicken width wise very thinly. It was a huge hit with everyone in the family and we are all looking forward to the left overs!