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Chicken, Bacon and Leek Pasta Bake

A perfect midweek supper for the whole family

Ingredients

1tbsp olive oil

100g pack bacon lardons

450g (1lb) boneless and skinless chicken thighs, chopped

3 medium leeks, chopped

300g (11oz) macaroni pasta

350g tub ready-made cheese sauce

2tsp Dijon mustard

2tbsp freshly chopped flat-leafed parsley

25g (1oz) freshly grated Parmesan

Method

1) Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add bacon and chicken and cook for 7–8min. Add the leeks and continue cooking for 4–5min.

2) Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain well.

3) Preheat the grill. Add the cheese sauce, mustard, bacon, chicken, leek and parsley to the pasta and mix. Tip into a heatproof 2.1 litre (33/4 pint) dish and sprinkle with parmesan. Grill for 4–5min until golden.

or try this one

Three Cheese Baked Pasta

"This hearty dish always gets rave reviews. Everyone who tries it loves it! Make it a part of your meal today!"

INGREDIENTS

1 pound uncooked pasta

1 pound ground beef

1 onion, chopped

6 1/2 cups tomato pasta sauce

6 ounces provolone cheese, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups sour cream

6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, cook ground meat and onion in a skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until meat is browned. Stir in pasta sauce, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer the ingredients in the prepared baking dish as follows: half of the cooked pasta, all the provolone cheese, all the sour cream, half of the sauce mixture, remaining pasta, mozzarella cheese, and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until bubbly.

I make this really good Chicken and Chorizo Pasta Bake. Not a recipe for people on a diet - chicken, sausage, and penne is baked in a creamy tomato sauce. I cook the meats, pasta, and sauce all at the same time, but it can be done individually and refrigerated before baking it in the oven.

250 g penne pasta

15 ml olive oil

4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 red bell pepper, chopped

60 g chorizo sausage, cut into chunks

375 g tomato puree

235 ml light cream

2 g red pepper flakes (optional)

55 g shredded Cheddar cheese

55 g shredded mozzarella cheese

20 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook until firm and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper and chorizo and cook for 5 minutes until the chorizo is hot and the chicken is no longer pink in the center. Remove from heat.

Pour the tomato puree, cream, and red pepper flakes into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened.

Add drained pasta and sauce to the skillet containing the chicken and mix well. Spoon the mixture into an oven proof dish. Sprinkle the Cheddar, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly.

Enjoy :-)

What kind of potlucks do you go to? Mine have really good pasta salads. So start by using fafalle or rotini. There should be at least as much of the other ingredients as there is pasta. Don't forget the seasoning. Add either Marinated artchokes Jarred pimento Assorted pitted olives, sliced Scallions, sliced or Red Onion, diced Cherry Tomatoe, halved Capers Salami, sliced thin and cut into strips Provalone, sliced thin and cut into strips Salt and Pepper Mix all ingredients and moisten with Italian dressing if necessary Or Cooked shrimp Jarred pimento Celery Diced and/or cucumber Dry mustard and/or wasabe powder Salt and Pepper Mayonnaise

I like to add a layer of a 50/50 mix of

Cream Cheese and Ricotta (let come to room temp) mixed with some basil, touch of salt, and chopped garlic.

I put a thick layer of that between 2 layers of pasta.

YUM!

hmm try pepperoni in it. that always adds kick.

mushrooms too if you like them. just a can of sliced should do it.

you could also add a few dashes of red pepper powder or flakes for some heat.

you can add sauteed onion, red pepper, green pepper, cabbage, carrots shredded.