Penne Chicken with Sun Dried Tomatoes

This recipe for Penne Chicken with Sun Dried Tomatoes is probably my husband’s most favorite meals. I found it in a cooking magazine last year and ended up changing it so much that I had to write it down separately or else I’d never remember what all I had ended up changing — and that, to my husband at least, would have been a travesty!

It does rely on pre-canned and pre-packaged foods, so we don’t make it very often and when we do it’s only if something’s on sale. You can definitely substitute the pre-packaged chicken for a some leftover roast chicken, or try using your own sun dried tomatoes. The original recipe also called for two jars of the sun dried tomato Alfredo sauce, but we found that to be too sweet so we use a jar of regular in place of one of the jars instead. It’s a very forgiving recipe, and the best part is that it’s quick and perfect for a busy evening.

Penne Chicken with Sun Dried Tomatoes
adapted from Simple & Delicious magazine

4 cups uncooked penne pasta
1 jar (16 oz) sun dried tomato Alfredo sauce
1 jar (16 oz) regular creamy Alfredo sauce
2 packages (9 oz each) ready-to-use Southwestern chicken strips
1 cup of chopped sun dried tomatoes (oil packed or dry packed)
1/4 tsp pepper
1-1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

~ Cook pasta according to package directions. If using dry-packaged sun dried tomatoes, use a bit of the hot water (before the pasta has been added) to reconstitute the tomatoes.

~ In a large bowl, combine the Alfredo sauces, chicken, tomatoes, and pepper. Drain the pasta and stir into the chicken mixture. Spoon into a greased 13×9″ casserole dish.

~ Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until heated through. Uncover, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 5-8 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

[image: sxc]