Creamy Chicken And Pasta Casserole


Ingredients:
3 Bone-In, Skin On, Chicken Breasts (Boneless is okay too)
1 lb. Spaghetti Noodles
1  - 8 oz. package Cream Cheese
1 small Onion, chopped
1 small Bell Pepper, chopped
1 large Beefsteak Tomato
2 cups Cheddar Cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 F. l\
Lightly spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray. 
Set aside.

Add the chicken breasts to a large stock pot. 
Cover them with water.
Season the water with salt/pepper. 
Bring to a boil. 
Boil for about 30-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove the chicken from the water and place on a cutting board. 
Carefully remove the chicken from the bone, discarding the bones and skin. 
Shred the chicken into bite size strips.

Bring the stock back to a boil.
Add the pasta. 
Cook according to the package instructions to al dente. 
 * Do not overcook the pasta since it is also going into the oven. 
Drain the pasta into a bowl, reserving the chicken broth the pasta was cooked in.

Meanwhile, add the cream cheese to a small sauce pan. 
Add in 2 ladles of the reserved chicken broth to the pan.
Cook over medium heat. 
Whisk until the mixture is smooth. 
Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the reserved hot noodles, reserved shredded chicken, onion, bell pepper and tomato. 
* If you don't want your veggies to have a bit of crunch, saute the onions and peppers in a bit of olive oil before adding them to the mixture.

Pour in the cream cheese mixture.
Add 1 cup of the cheddar cheese and 3/4 cup of the reserved chicken stock. 
Stir until combined. 
If you desire to add more of the reserved stock, feel free.
 Season with salt/pepper as needed.

Pour the mixture into the reserved 9 x 13 baking dish.
Top with the remaining cup of cheddar cheese.
Cover and bake for 30-40 minutes.