Things like: what am I going to make for dinner?

Several people have told me how much they enjoyed the King Ranch Chicken recipe I posted last week. I was craving something like that tonight, but I had no tortillas on hand (and no interest in running to the grocery store, after fighting the late-day traffic twice. Both of my kids had to stay after school today. Tutoring, club meetings—the ways to throw a wrench in our usually well-oiled schedule are without number.) I did, however, have a can of diced green chilies, some chicken, some cheese, and several boxes of pasta. A recipe began to take shape in the fantasy world of my foodie brain. Not exactly King Ranch, but something pretty close. I grabbed a box of penne pasta and got to work.

I was able to mix up Chicken and Green Chili Pasta in approximately fifteen minutes. I know this because Barilla pasta takes ten minutes to cook. Add in a few minutes for bringing the water to a boil, a few more for draining and mixing the pasta with the sauce, a few seconds to plate up the finished product, and you have dinner in record time. (I did have backup from a designated cheese grater; if you’ll be grating your own, add two minutes to the prep time. Seriously, that’s all it takes. I’ve timed myself. I take my job as a Foodie very seriously.) The Girl said “This is so good! It tastes like queso with pasta.” I told her I’d thought about using a can of Ro-tel tomatoes and chilies in place of the diced green chilies, and she said “No way. This is nice and creamy. I like queso with pasta.” Mr. Picky was less enthusiastic (of course), but he ate his dinner without complaint. That in itself is a measure of success.  

Chicken and Green Chili Pasta

Ingredients:

1 lb. pasta
4 T. butter
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 can evaporated milk
½ cup nonfat milk
3 chicken bouillion cubes
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chilies
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
1 ½ cups grated cheese (I used a mixture of Jack and cheddar)

Directions:

Fill a large pot with water and set it on the stove. While it comes to a boil, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, a little at a time, until you have a very thick paste. Whisk in the garlic powder. Let this mixture bubble together over medium heat for a few minutes. Add the pasta to the water when it comes to a boil and stir.

Back to the sauce: whisk in the evaporated milk and nonfat milk until you have a smooth and very thick mixture. Add the bouillion cubes and leave the sauce alone until they dissolve. At this point, evaluate the consistency of your sauce; if you'd like it thinner, add more milk. Remember that you'll be adding the cheese in a moment, which will make the sauce a little thicker than it is. I like the sauce to stick to the pasta, but you may want something on the thinner side.

Stir in the can of green chilies (including their juice) and the chicken. Let this mixture sit on the heat for a few minutes, so the juice from the chilies has some time to mingle with the sauce and the chicken warms through. Finally, take the pan off the heat and stir in the cheese until it's melted.

Drain the pasta. Toss it with the sauce in a large bowl (or right in the saucepan, if it's large enough) and serve immediately.