Chicken-Vegetable Mac and Cheese

By kelsa94

Ingredients

• 12 ounces dried penne pasta
• 1 cup fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 ounces button mushrooms, halved
• 1/3 cup chopped red sweet pepper
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 - 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning or other herb blend, crushed
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/3 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Swiss cheese (8 ounces)
• 6 ounces process American or Swiss cheese, torn (2 cups)
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• 4 ounces purchased croutons (2 cups), coarsely crushed

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 45mins
Cooking time 45mins
Adapted from bhg.com

Preparation

Step 1

Cook pasta according to package directions, adding green beans and broccoli the last 2 minutes; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again. Return pasta to pan.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms, red peppers and chicken. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook and stir until chicken is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Add chicken to pasta in pan.

For cheese sauce, in a large saucepan melt the 1/4 cup butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until tender. Stir in flour, then tomato paste. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly; reduce heat. Gradually stir in cheddar and American cheeses until nearly melted. Remove from heat; season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Add cheese sauce to pasta mixture, stirring to coat.

Spoon pasta mixture into a 3 quart baking dish. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap, then with foil. Freeze for up to 4 months.

To serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap; recover with foil. Bake about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until heated through, stirring every 30 minutes. Top with crushed croutons.