Serves
4
INGREDIENTS
- 340 g penne
- 1/4 butter
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups shredded smoked cheddar divided
- 1 cup chopped chicken or ham
METHOD
- Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling, salted water until almost tender (less tender than usual – it’s going to keep getting tender in the oven!), 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain and rinse well with cold running water.
- Melt butter in a medium pot over medium. Whisk in flour and cook about 15 sec. Whisk in mustard powder. Whisk in chicken broth, about ½ cup at a time, incorporating fully before adding more. Cook until thickened, about 5 min, stirring often.
- Whisk in 2 cups of the cheese and salt. When cheese is melted, stir in chicken. Remove from heat and stir in penne.
- Scrape into an 8 x 8-inch baking dish and smooth out the top.
- Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Let cool completely then cover with foil. Freeze up to 1 week.
- Place the frozen dish in the oven then heat to 325F.
- Bake 40 min, then remove foil and bake another 10 min or until bubbly and very hot.
- Broil for a few minutes at the end, if you like, to get the top more brown.
