Baked Ranch Pasta with Chicken and Spinach
Mike’s family flew in for our daughter’s second birthday and I made this the night they arrived. This is a total no-pressure, pantry dish that tastes insane! Those little Ranch packages are a great go-to for amazing flavour.
Serves 6-8
340 g chopped frozen spinach, cooked according to package directions
3 Cups rotini, cooked according to package directions, drained and set aside
1/2 tbsp butter
2-3 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lb/650 g) cut into small chunks
salt
pepper
2 ¼ Cups (2%) milk (or whatever you have on hand)
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 package of dried Ranch seasoning/salad dressing
1 Cup grated part skim mozzarella cheese
Preheat your oven to 375 after you have cooked the spinach and pasta as noted above.
Return the pot you cooked the pasta in to medium-high heat and add the butter. When it’s melted add in the chicken pieces; season with salt and pepper.
Sauté the chicken until it’s white and no longer pink but not completely cooked through.
Meanwhile, whisk together the milk, flour and ranch seasoning; make sure that everything is completely dissolved and that there are no lumps.
Once semi-cooked, transfer the chicken to a plate and again return the pot to medium-high heat.
Use the same pot again and add in the milk mixture to the pot and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any flavours that may be there while the milk mixture comes up to a boil.
Turn the heat off when the sauce has thickened.
Add in the chicken pieces, cooked spinach and pasta; mix well.
Transfer the contents of the pot to a greased casserole dish and then top evenly with the mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes and then broil until the cheese is bubbling.
Notes:
- Use whatever small shaped pasta you have on hand; I used Smart pasta this time 🙂
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 8 | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 20 minutes |
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Mike’s family flew in for our daughter’s second birthday and I made this the night they arrived. This is a total no-pressure, pantry dish that tastes insane! Those little Ranch packages are a great go-to for amazing flavour.
|
- 340 g chopped frozen spinach \, cooked according to package directions
- 3 cups rotini , cooked according to package directions, drained and set aside
- 1/2 tbsp butter
- 3 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (about 1 1/2 lb/650 g) cut into small chunks
- salt
- pepper
- 2 1/4 cup milk (2% or whatever you have on hand)
- 2 tbsp whole wheat flour
- 1 package of dried Ranch seasoning/salad dressing
- 1 cup grated part skim mozzarella cheese
- Preheat your oven to 375 after you have cooked the spinach and pasta as noted above.
- Return the pot you cooked the pasta in to medium-high heat and add the butter. When it’s melted add in the chicken pieces; season with salt and pepper.
- Sauté the chicken until it’s white and no longer pink but not completely cooked through.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the milk, flour and ranch seasoning; make sure that everything is completely dissolved and that there are no lumps.
- Once semi-cooked, transfer the chicken to a plate and again return the pot to medium-high heat.
- Use the same pot again and add in the milk mixture to the pot and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any flavours that may be there while the milk mixture comes up to a boil.
- Turn the heat off when the sauce has thickened.
- Add in the chicken pieces, cooked spinach and pasta; mix well.
- Transfer the contents of the pot to a greased casserole dish and then top evenly with the mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes and then broil until the cheese is bubbling.
- Use whatever small shaped pasta you have on hand; I used Smart pasta this time 🙂
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