Friday, March 13, 2009

Not your mom's mac and cheese

Chicken-n-veggie mac-n-cheese

I took a different spin on the ordinary classic mac and cheese to make it a complete meal. I also added some "exotic" flavors to really spice it up. Again, I used what was left in the house.

Ingredients:
1/3 to 1/2 box of whole wheat penne pasta (I substituted that for macaroni since it's what I already had.)
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
1/3 to 1/2 jar Ragu cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Shredded cheese of choice
Ground cumin (Would be great with Tony's cajun seasoning as well.)
Salt
EVOO

Directions: In large pot, boil water and mixed vegetables. Cook about 3 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice chicken and cook in large skillet with EVOO. Add ground cumin to taste. Add a pinch of salt. Cook chicken until no longer pink in center. Add pasta to boiling vegetables. Cook for about 8 minutes (or according to directions on package). Drain pasta and vegetables, and add to chicken in skillet. Pour in Ragu and Parmesan cheeses. Transfer to glass baking dish. Cover with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Set oven to broil, and continue cooking for about 3-5 minutes. (Watch closely so shredded cheese doesn't burn. You want it crispy.)

Side suggestions: Salad and bread of choice.

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