I’ve gotten into the habit of occasionally buying those hot roasted chickens from the grocery store. They’re just so darned cheap and handy, not to mention tasty. Last weekend, the Pie was out of town, and sometimes I forget to actually eat when he’s not around, so I bought the chicken to give me some incentive. One leg at one meal, one leg at another, and I was set. But I still had the body of the chicken left to deal with. I dismantled the remainder of the carcass, including the breasts, and whipped up this quick pasta dish to greet the Pie when he came home. He went back for seconds so I think I did a good job.
So. Chicken. You’ll need about 2 cups shredded chicken.
About 1 cup ranch dressing.
An onion, some garlic, and a head of broccoli. Chop those up.
Cook 4 slices bacon.
Make them super crispy and then put them somewhere to drain.
Start your pot of boiling water to make your pasta. You’ll need enough noodles for four. I used linguini.
Grab a pot and chuck in a few tablespoons olive oil. Add in the onions and cook until translucent and smelling fabulous.
Then add in the broccoli and garlic and stir that as well.
Next, add in a few pinches dry mustard and pepper and paprika (you’ll see the paprika added in a later photo but that’s because I had to wait for the Pie to pick it up from the store on his way home).
Pour in about 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup cream, and the 1 cup ranch dressing.
Chuck in the chicken, then cut up the bacon and chuck that in as well.
Stir that to heat things up. You’re not really going to want to cook this for a long time.
Then add in a few tablespoons pesto. And some more cream if you want it thicker.
Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Dump the sauce over top and toss to coat. Serve immediately, although it’s equally fantastic the next day.
Mmm that looks delicious! I love easy pasta recipes and I will be trying this one soon.
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SO easy and SO GOOD!
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Amazing how far one of those ready cooked chickens will go! Great idea!
Cassie x http://cassiefairy.com
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I think I’m addicted to pre-roasted chickens now …
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I am always looking for new recipes! This is definitely one I will need to try
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Looks great Ally! Almost enough to make me eat meat after 10 years. 🙂
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I’m sure you could find a good substitute!
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Hi Ally, approximately how much did it cost for this dish?
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Good question. I think the chicken was $8 and I used about half of it, the pasta was half a package that cost me $1. I did use pricey bacon, so maybe $1.50 for the four slices. Other than that, the green onions and broccoli that I used were less than a dollar each, I’d say.
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Reblogged this on fuel2thefire and commented:
I’m making this tonight!
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