Instead I came home and had this on the table in about 1/2 hour!
I was a little worried when it came out of the oven but the sauce tightened up after standing a few minutes.....so try to resist the urge to shovel it in your face right out of the oven (besides, it'll be hot hot hot!!)
Chicken Alfredo Bake
1/2 16 oz package penne pasta
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups cooked chicken
4 Tbsp butter
1 tsp minced garlic
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp oregano
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
Bring a large pot of water to a boil....cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place it in a greased 9X9 pan. Heat olive oil a large skillet. Add the cooked chicken and cook it until it's nice and brown. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Melt the butter in the skillet. Add the garlic and cook over medium high heat until garlic is fragrant. Add the cream and milk. Let this heat up then sprinkle in the cheese. Stir the sauce with a whisk until it starts to thicken up (takes a few minutes). Add the chicken broth, thyme, oregano and the browned chicken. Let it heat up and thicken again. Pour the sauce and chicken over the pasta. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese and then the panko. Set your oven to broil (high) and set the pan under the broiler 5 minutes (mine was done after 3) just watch it close so it doesn't burn. Let it stand 5 minutes before serving.
This dish is best served right after preparing. If you need to reheat it do so at very low heat!
