I’m pretty sure there’s nothing as good as pasta and cheese. In just about any combination. This little casserole is so yummy and so easy! Plus...with a pregnant daughter who can’t hardly stand to get in the kitchen and cook anything, a casserole that normally would go into a 9x13 inch pan, gets split into two 9x9 inch pans so I can give one to her. IT Guy and I certainly don’t need all that food so it works all the way around. I had this dish thrown together in less than 30 minutes and it only baked for a few minutes then dinner was done!
Chicken Spinach Tortellini Bake
2 cups cooked, diced chicken
2 cups chopped, fresh spinach
1 12-ounce package cheese tortellini ~ cooked and drained (reserve about 1 cup pasta water)
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic ~ minced
3 tablespoons flour
6 strips bacon ~ diced
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large skillet, cook diced bacon until crispy. Remove to a plate to drain. Reserve drippings.
Saute the garlic in the bacon drippings for about 1 minute.
Add the flour and whisk for a minute or so.
Pour in the milk and cook and stir until smooth.
Stir in the salt, pepper and lemon juice. Turn off heat.
Add 3/4 cups of both cheeses and stir until cheeses melt then stir in the chopped spinach.
Gently stir in the diced, cooked chicken and the cooked tortellini.
Add a little bit of the reserved pasta water to thin out the mixture, if needed.
Pour mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle with remaining cheeses.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 - 30 minutes or until hot.
How about we make a casserole?
Dice the bacon then fry it up crisp. Remove it from the pan when done.
Add the garlic into the bacon
drippings and cook for a minute or so.
Now add the flour and cook
and stir until smooth.
Add the milk.
And the lemon juice, salt and
pepper and cook until thickened.
Add 3/4 cup of each of the cheeses.
Stir until melted.
Stir in the chopped spinach.
Next stir in the cooked tortellini
and the cooked, diced chicken.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan(s) then sprinkle with remaining cheeses.
Bake and serve!
