Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

I have to confess. This summer I have been L-A-Z-Y in the kitchen.  My excuse is the heat. I mean really, it has been 111+ here! Turning the oven on isn't appealing in the least. Instead we've been doing a lot of grilling and stove top cooking. But after reading through this recipe and discovering that it  required only 15 minutes of baking time, I decided to go for it.

Boy am I glad. I. All the flavors of chicken cordon bleu, with the addition of tender penne pasta. It's hands down my favorite meal I've made in a long time.

First, tender penne noodles are nestled in a divine, creamy, cheesy, alfredo like sauce. Next comes bite sized nuggets of tender chicken, a sprinkling of bacon, and delicious ham. The addition of bread crumbs on the top  finishes the dish beautifully.

The whole family loved it. In fact, it was such a hit that my oldest daughter has already requested it for her birthday dinner in January.

Served with a side salad and some nice steamed veggies, this is comfort food at it's best.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

Ingredients:

• 10-12 oz. penne or ziti pasta (I used 12)
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder more or less to taste
• 1/2 tsp. garlic salt more or less to taste
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, separated
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into strips or bite sized pieces
• 3/4 cup bacon, cooked and chopped
• 3/4 cup diced ham
• bread crumbs (I used the Italian flavored ones)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook pasta according to its package's directions. Drain. I always add a little olive oil after I drain it and stir in around so the pasta noodles don't stick together or the pot.
2. Heat cream cheese on stove over medium low heat until melted. Stir in heavy cream. Stir until completely combined. Add onion powder and garlic salt until it tastes how you would like it to. Stir in cheese until smooth consistency.
3. In a 9x13, layer noodles, chicken, bacon and ham. Pour sauce over top. Sprinkle top with 1/2 cup cheese and bread crumbs.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until heated through.

Recipe Source: Chef in Training

Posted by: Sallie