Cheesy Chicken & Pepper Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients

• 8 oz cheddar cheese (⅔ of an 8 oz block, grated and divided)
• 0.5 lb chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
• 2 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
• 0.5 bunch Italian parsley (small bunch; leaves minced, stems discarded)
• 2 red bell peppers (small diced)
• 8 oz spaghetti pasta (snapped into 2-inch pieces)
• 0.5 lb white mushrooms (sliced)
• 16 fl oz whole milk
• 1 yellow onion (medium, peeled and small diced)
• all-purpose flour (sprinkle over the vegetables; amount not specified)
• black pepper (amount not specified)
• extra virgin olive oil (amount not specified; for cooking)
• paprika (amount not specified)
• salt (used with the chicken and pasta; amount not specified)

Steps

1. 1

   Add the chicken and salt to a medium saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Fill a large pot halfway with water, cover, and bring it to a boil. Uncover, add the salt and snapped spaghetti, and stir for a few seconds. Cook until the desired firmness, 8–10 minutes, then drain and set aside.

3. 3

   Wash and dry the fresh produce.

4. 4

   Slice the mushrooms. Peel and small dice the onion, and small dice the peppers. Peel and mince the garlic.

5. 5

   Preheat a large skillet over medium heat.

6. 6

   Once the skillet is hot, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the peppers, mushrooms, onion, garlic, black pepper, and paprika. Cook for 5–6 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.

7. 7

   Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until fully incorporated. Pour in the milk, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Let the mixture simmer, stirring often, until slightly thickened, 3–4 minutes.

8. 8

   Preheat the oven to the broil setting and position the rack in the upper third of the oven.

9. 9

   Grate the cheddar cheese.

10. 10

    When the chicken is done, drain it and shred it with a fork. Add the chicken to the vegetable mixture along with the cooked pasta and half of the grated cheese. Stir to combine.

11. 11

    Pour the spaghetti mixture into a baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese and broil for 3 minutes, until the cheese melts and becomes golden brown.

12. 12

    Shave the parsley leaves from the stems, discard the stems, and mince the leaves.

13. 13

    Divide the baked spaghetti between plates, garnish with the parsley, and serve.

Notes

The source does not specify the amount of water used for poaching the chicken or boiling the pasta, the amount of flour, oil, spices, or salt, or the size of the baking dish. The stated total time is 35 minutes.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• baked
• pasta
• chicken
• cheesy
• family-friendly