Creamy baked penne casserole
Serves
4
Smoked cheddar with chicken sounds like the perfect meal to feed the entire family - try this delightful creamy baked penne casserole for tonight's dinner.
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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
Instructions
- 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.