tried and true.

I don't quite know what to say for our dinner tonight. It was good, but I just felt like there was some taste missing from it. Don't know. Matt gave it a 3.5 saying yes he would have it again, but he noted my prep time might not be worth it. The prep time took a hour and a half!!! It took forever to prepare; thankfully Benson was asleep or this would have been impossible. So while yes it was good, I wouldn't tell you to stop what you are doing and make this right now. Lots of time, lots of dishes, lots of food. See my notes for more thoughts on the recipe.

Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli, and Smoked Mozzarella

Topping: 3/4 c. bread crumbs mixed with 2 Tbsp. butter

- 1 bunch of fresh broccoli, stalks cut, florets only

- 12 oz. penne pasta

- 2 Tbsp. olive oil

- 1/2 medium onion, minced

- 3 cloves of garlic

- 1 tsp. dried thyme

- 1/4 c. flour

- 2 c. chicken broth

- 1 c. heavy cream

- salt and pepper

- 2 or 3 chicken breasts cut in bite size pieces

- smoked mozzarella

- sun dried tomatoes

-In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and butter and set aside. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.

-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large pot, bring the water for the pasta to a boil. Stir in one tablespoon salt and the broccoli. The broccoli cooks quickly so stay close! Cook the broccoli for 1 minute, until it is bright green. Quickly remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon to a plate. Return the water to a boil and add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than how you would eat it normally (it will cook a bit more in the oven while baking). Drain the pasta in a colander and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Leave it in the colander and set it aside.

-Wipe the pot dry. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown. Stir in the garlic and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the flour, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the broth and cream; bring to a simmer, whisking often. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and smoked mozzarella.

-Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the sauce; stir to combine. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the bread crumb topping. Bake until the casserole is bubbling and the crumbs are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

*MY NOTES: The sun dried tomatoes I got were disgusting and chewy. Gave the meal color but we didn't dare eat them. I could not find smoked motz at the store so I used regular. It worked fine, but maybe the smoked would give it that extra flavor it needed. This recipe has you cook it all in one pan. I think that is why it took so dang long to make. If I ever make it again I will definitely use multiple pans.