Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Leftovers...in cognito.

Along with my rosemary potatoes the other night, I grilled some chicken breasts using my stove top grill pan. They came out so good...tender, juicy and flavorful. I'm giving credit to the grill pan...and making chicken using it from now on!
Looking ahead, I decided to make a few extras pieces of chicken to use in the next night's dinner. I wrapped them in foil and popped them in the fridge.
Well, yesterday turned out to be a long, busy day. Not anything major or earth-shattering...just busy. Life, kids, business, errands, pets, laundry, the usual. Then, of course, dinner needed to be prepared. The one saving grace was knowing that a big part of it was done for me...grilled chicken. I looked in the fridge to see what else I had to work with...and this is what I came up with...

...and this is how I did it. SO easy.

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Pasta in Bechamel Sauce with Cubed Roasted Chicken

1/2 stick of butter

4 T flour (more or less, see how your roux looks, adjust accordingly)

1 c. half and half (more or less depending on the consistency of your sauce)

dash nutmeg

dash Italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

1 box bow tie pasta, cooked and drained (the pic shows elbows...the bow tie box was alrady recycled! But you can use your favorite pasta)

2 grilled chicken breasts, cubed

fresh parsley, chopped (optional) (I used it because it came in my CSA box, otherwise it never would have happened!)

Cook your pasta according to the directions for the least amount of time so it stays a bit al dente. It will cook more in the sauce and you don't want it mushy. Drain your pasta and set aside in the strainer. Using the same pot that cooked the pasta in melt your butter on medium heat. Once it is all melted, add in your flour, whisking to make sure there are no lumps. Add in your half and half, continuing to whisk and making sure to get all of your roux up from the bottom of the pan. Season with nutmeg, salt pepper, lower heat and let thicken. Stir often. Once your sauce is to your desired thickness (I like mine a bit more on the saucy, creamy side) add in your cubed chicken and warm through. Then add in your pasta. Stir well to make sure all pieces are coated nicely with the sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired and serve! I made some sauteed broccoli with garlic and red pepper flakes and served warm french bread on the side. It got rave reviews from everyone...Ian even said it was "fine" and he's not a past kinda guy! This is a great way to use leftovers...without anyone even knowing that they're eating leftovers!

Hope you like it! We did...so much so Chris and I are eating it for lunch today!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

kids would love that. so easy

Nancy said...

Sounds like a perfect meal for a busy weeknight. Pasta is always a huge hit at our table. Thanks for sharing.