Baked Artichoke Chicken Pasta

I made this dish to send to my parents for them to have while my mom was recovering from hip surgery. I made the entire recipe, but split it into two baking pans, one for us and one to send home with my dad. My dad loves anything with artichokes, so I knew this would be a hit with him. Miss F still isn't a fan of artichokes. She tried them steamed with me one time and thought they were just awful. I have loved them since I was a kid, so I don't get her hatred. I know it is a strange thing to eat, but they are so delicious. Maybe one day she will come around to them. I have had this recipe pinned from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice, I am glad I finally got a chance to make it, I loved it.

Baked Artichoke Pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ onion, diced
coarse salt and fresh black pepper
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
12 ounces rigatoni pasta
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 ounces artichoke hearts, quartered
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat and add the onions. Saute for 5 minutes, until onions begin to soften. Add the garlic and saute 30 seconds more. Add the chicken and for 3 to 5 minutes more, until chicken is browned on all sides. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Prepare the pasta per package instructions. Drain and add to a large bowl. Stir in the chicken and onion mixture.

Add the butter to the skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Turn the heat to low, stir in the Parmesan, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir in the artichoke hearts.

Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Generously butter a 9x13-inch casserole or baking pan. Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared pan and top with the shredded mozzarella. Bake for 40 minutes and cool for 5 minutes before serving.

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Bolillos

I love Bolillos. Our grocery sells them for 25 cents a piece and they are great for sandwiches, especially tortas. I have wanted to try and make them at home for the longest time (nearly as long as I have been wanting to make tortillas, which I still have yet to tackle.)  My favorite sandwich to use these for is the Mexican Red Snapper Sandwich, pretty much my ideal sandwich.  They also work great for sub rolls for cheesesteaks, slather on some queso and you have a TexMex cheesesteak.  This recipe is from food.com.

Bolillos

2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/3 cups warm water
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lard or 1 tablespoon shortening, melted and cooled
1 ½ teaspoons salt
3 ¼ to 4 cups flour
¼ cup cold water
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Sprinkle yeast over the warm water in the bowl of the stand mixer; stir and let stand 5 minutes. Stir the honey, lard and salt into the yeast mixture and add 2 ½ cups of the flour. Mix at low speed to incorporate, then beat at medium speed for 5 minutes more. Gradually stir in the remaining flour until a soft dough forms. Swap out the mixer for a dough hook and knead for 10 to 15 minutes. Cover and let ride in a warm place for one hour. Punch the dough down, knead briefly on a floured surface. Divide into 10 pieces and roll into balls. Roll each ball into an oval shape about 5 inches long, tapering at each end. Place on a greased baking sheet and let rise for 30 minutes more.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the water and cornstarch, heat to boiling and boil for 2 minutes, until thick and clear. Brush each roll with the cornstarch mixture. Slash each roll down the middle ½ inch deep. Bake until browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove and cool on racks.

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Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli and Mozzarella

I love any sort of baked pasta dish. They are great to prepare in advance, but they usually dirty a bunch of dishes, pots and pans in the process. This recipe cooks the broccoli along with the pasta, which means one less pot to clean up. Miss F was a huge fan of this meal, even the broccoli, aka trees.  This makes a huge pan of pasta and it reheated well as leftovers, which is always a bonus in our house.  I adapted this recipe from Mel's Kitchen Café.

Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli and Mozzarella

1 pound broccoli, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
16 ounces penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
3 ounces mozzarella, shredded
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Toss together the bread crumbs and melted butter in a small dish, set aside.

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Pull out the broccoli florets and set aside in a large bowl. Cook the penne pasta per package instructions, drain and add the penne to the bowl with the broccoli.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme, cooking one minute more. Add the flour and cook until golden, about one minute more. Whisk in the broth, cream, salt and pepper. Add the chicken and cook for 6 to 8 minutes more. Stir in the mozzarella cheese. Pour the sauce with the chicken and the tomatoes into the bowl with the pasta, toss well to evenly coat and pour into the prepared baking dish. Top with the parmesan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until just beginning to brown. Serve.

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