This is for Meagan

Meagan-I know your latest craving has been Mac and Cheese. I thought you would enjoy spicing things up a bit. I had to post this recipe for you.

Chicken Mac and Cheese
Makes: 6 servings
Prep: 40 minutes
Bake: 20 minutes

Ingredients

* 1 pound skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves
* 1 to 2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
* Salt and ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 8 ounces dried mostaccioli, ziti, or penne pasta
* 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 3 cups milk
* 8 ounces smoked cheddar, Gruyere, or Swiss cheese, shredded (2 cups)
* Salt and ground black pepper
* 2 cups soft sourdough or French bread crumbs
* 2 ounces finely shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese (1/2 cup)
* 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. In a large skillet cook chicken, Italian or desired seasoning blend, salt, and pepper in hot oil over medium heat until chicken is no longer pink.* Remove chicken from skillet; set aside.

2. In a large pot or kettle cook pasta according to package directions until just tender. Drain; return pasta to pot.

3. Meanwhile, in the same skillet in which chicken was cooked, cook onion and garlic in 3 tablespoons hot butter over medium heat until tender. Stir in flour until well combined. Stir in tomato paste. Add milk. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened and bubbly; reduce heat. Add the shredded cheese. Stir until cheese is almost melted. Remove from heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add sauce and chicken to cooked pasta in pot; stir to coat. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart square or rectangular baking dish.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl stir together bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and 3 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle crumb mixture over pasta mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until crumb mixture is golden and edges are bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.

Cooking Club Directions: Prepare casserole as above for each member, except divide the bread crumb mixture into small resealable plastic bags or moisture- and vapor-proof plastic freezer bags. Do not bake. Cover pans with foil to refrigerate, or wrap with moisture- and vapor-proof wrap to freeze. Refrigerate up to 24 hours or freeze casserole and bread crumb mixture up to 1 month.

Test Kitchen Tip: Use a blender or food processor to make soft breadcrumbs. About 1-1/2 ounces of break makes 1 cup of crumbs.

Reheating and Serving: < Thaw casserole, if frozen, and bread crumb mixture in refrigerator overnight. Bake refrigerated or thawed casserole, covered with foil, in a 350 degrees F oven for 20 minutes. Uncover and top with bread crumb mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes more or until crumb mixture is golden and edges are bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts

* Servings Per Recipe 6 servings
* Calories 675,
* Total Fat (g) 34,
* Saturated Fat (g) 18,
* Monounsaturated Fat (g) 12,
* Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 2,
* Cholesterol (mg) 132,
* Sodium (mg) 771,
* Carbohydrate (g) 49,
* Total Sugar (g) 8,
* Fiber (g) 1,
* Protein (g) 42,
* Vitamin C (DV%) 4,
* Calcium (DV%) 55,
* Iron (DV%) 16,
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet