Cheesy Chicken and Rotini

Soo... this picture is courtesy of BettyCrocker.com. If you haven't noticed yet, I'm not super great with a camera. I'm hoping I'll get better... we'll see. :)

If you feel the need to break up the OAMC rotation with some non-crockpot meals, this little recipe  just might come in handy. It comes together quickly with a frozen mix of veggies and precooked chicken. This casserole is nice and light, the perfect Summertime pasta dish... I realize Summer is officially over, I'm just trying to appropriately convey the level of richness of this meal. :) So yes, it is a pasta, but it's not one of those where you feel like you might need to loosen your belt after eating it.

The flavor is fresh! Especially with those delicious Roma tomato wedges on top.

Quick, light and fresh - I know I'm not the only person who finds those qualities attractive! 

Here goes:

Cheesy Chicken and Rotini

Ingredients:

8 oz cooked rotini pasta

2 cups cooked chicken

1 cup frozen onions, celery, bell pepper and parsley seasoning blend. (I have a hard time finding this sometimes. The brand is Pictsweet, but not everybody carries it... so you may substitute it with another veggie/seasoning blend. I think I've tried it with a gumbo mix and it worked out pretty well!)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup chicken broth

2 Roma tomatoes cut into 6 wedges each

3 green onions, sliced

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

For Today:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine first 5 ingredients in 8x8 baking dish. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly.

2. Remove from oven, top with tomatoes, onions and cheese and return to oven for a few minutes, just until the cheese is melty.

For the Freezer:
1. Combine first 5 ingredients in 8x8 foil pan. Cover with a double layer of tinfoil and place in freezer.
*As for the remaining ingredients, usually I'll put the cheese in a small bag and duct tape it to the top of the pan, just so I know I have it on hand when I decide to make this dish. However, I've never tried freezing the green onions or tomatoes, so I can't recommend it. You may just need to have a note on your recipe list to have those items handy when you want to use this particular freezer meal. It may seem like a hassle, but the tomatoes really make this dish...
2. Allow the casserole to thaw in your fridge overnight, or on the counter for a few hours. The cooking time and temperature should be the same as above - 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, then add the tomatoes, onions and cheese and return to the oven for a few more minutes.

I like to serve it with my go-to Italian bread recipe... YUM!