I tried out this Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta recipe that I found at www.chef-in-training.com. It calls for simple, rich ingredients, and would be perfect use of Thanksgiving leftovers if you substitute turkey for the chicken and use leftover ham with it too! It makes a great dish to take to a pot-luck for sure!
Here's the recipe. See below the recipe for a few of my thoughts on tweeks I might make next time.
Pasta Chicken Cordon Bleu
Ingredients:
10-12 oz. penne or ziti pasta
2 cups heavy cream
1 (8 oz) block of cream cheese
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
2 Chicken breasts cooked and cut into strips
3/4 cup cooked and crumbled bacon (I used about 6 slices)
3/4 cup diced ham
bread crumbs ( I crumbled 2 slices of thick sliced "Texas Toast" bread I had on hand, but pre-seasoned bread crumbs or Panko would work too!)
Instructions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. (May want to rinse under cool water to keep it from sticking together, or spray with a touch of nonstick spray).
Heat cream cheese on stove over medium low heat until melted.
Stir in heavy cream, stirring until completely combined.
Add onion powder and garlic salt until it tastes how you would like it to.
Stir in cheese and whisk until smooth consistency.
In a greased 9 x 13 or 2 qt. casserole, layer pasta, chicken bacon and ham.
Pour sauce over the top
sprinkle with bread crumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until heated through.
Jan's Tips:
My husband loved this recipe as is, and I did too, but I do think it needed just a touch of something else I just couldn't put my finger on what, so before you pour the sauce onto the pasta, taste it make sure you don't want to add a bit more garlic, or maybe Parmesan. Let me know if you do add something I'd love to hear!
When I poured the sauce on top of the pasta/chicken/etc. It needed a bit of help to sink down into the pasta, so I gently moved the pasta around a little to help settle some of the sauce down into the casserole. I wonder if I premixed the pasta, sauce, and meats and then poured into the casserole if it would cover the pasta just a bit better.
Definitely this recipe is a keeper though and will live to see another day here at my house!
