Spinach, Artichoke, Chicken, and Mushroom Alfredo Pasta

Chicken, Spinach, Artichoke, and Mushroom Alfredo Pasta

This is the third variation I’ve made of this dish over the past couple of months, but the options are endless and it only takes a half hour to make from start to finish. That makes it my go-to recipe when I’m pinched for time. I’ve served this with just the spinach and noodles as a side dish, then I also made it a meatless main by adding artichokes. I think I’ve maxed out the ingredients this time around by also adding chicken and mushrooms to that growing list!

Getting this ready in a half-hour with chicken means you need precooked chicken. I used the leftover grilled chicken from the night before, but you can also use a rotisserie chicken from the deli.  I made way too much, as adding the chicken and mushrooms just put it over the top in quantity category for the three of us, especially since I over-eyeballed the pasta amount. Somebody PLEASE tell me how much dry pasta to boil for three?!  But it made great leftovers the next night.  All I had to do was add a little milk to the saucepan while reheating it to loosen it up, and it came out great. Since we didn’t have as much leftovers to eat as the night before, a side salad was served for round two.

Adding the Chicken and Spinach to Alfredo and Artichokes

Spinach, Artichoke, Chicken, and Mushroom Alfredo

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 to 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed

Plus, follow the recipe from this blog entry Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Angel Hair Pasta,   except add the mushrooms when sauteing the garlic, then add the cooked chicken when adding the artichokes. That’s it! Dinner on the table in a half hour, really! So sorry for the shortcut recipe, but I’m short on time these days.  🙂

Spinach Sausage Pasta Bake

Spinach Sausage Pasta Bake

I was a cooking fool over the past week, preparing three new dishes with the thought of having lots of blog material for the future. Unfortunately, the first meal was a complete disaster, but the pictures came out nice. The second dish was so-so but the pictures were terrible. I finally hit it on the third meal, which I present to you today. If you have a cast iron skillet with a lid, preparing this Spinach Sausage Pasta Bake can be done in one pot, except for the noodles. Easy to prepare, and easy to clean up!

I adapted this recipe from one I found online. I really wanted to use fresh spinach in this, but once again I sent my husband out to do the shopping and he came back with frozen spinach. He claims the grocery store did not have any fresh spinach. I’m highly suspect of that, but I made do anyways. You can use any type of small to medium pasta you want for this recipe. I just happened to have mini penne pasta and it worked great.

Spinach Sausage Pasta Bake

2 cups dried pasta
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1/2 large onion, diced small
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed
1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 brick Neufchatel cheese
1 cup Italian blend shredded cheese (combination of Mozarella and other white cheeses)

Pretty! Sausage, Spinach and Tomatoes

Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain, and set aside if done before the sausage is cooked. Meanwhile, cook the sausage, onions, and garlic in a large cast iron skillet until sausage is thoroughly cooked. Drain the grease and return the skillet to the stove. Add the thawed spinach, Italian seasoning and fire-roasted tomatoes and stir until combined. I happened to have a Roma tomato that needed used so chopped that up and added it at this time too. Then add the pasta, cream cheese, and half of the shredded cheese.  Mix well until all the cheese is melted and incorporated.  Cover and place in a 350 degree preheated oven for a half an hour. Remove cover, top with the remaining cheese, and cook 10 to 15 minutes longer until cheese is melted and bubbly. Fantastico!