Recipe: Green Chile Chicken Pasta

Green Chile Chicken Pasta

1 (16 ounce) package rigatoni noodles, cooked, drained

2 (16 ounce) jars Alfredo sauce

1 pound chicken breasts, cooked, shredded

2 (4 ounce) cans diced green chiles

2 (8 ounce) packages shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In 4 quart baking dish, arrange rigatoni noodles. Pour 1 jar Alfredo sauce over top.  Arrange chicken over sauce.  Pour remaining Alfredo sauce over chicken.  Sprinkle chiles over Alfredo sauce.  Sprinkle cheese over top.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly golden brown.  Makes 8 servings.

The green chiles give this recipe a unique flavor.  You get all the chile flavor without any of the chile heat.   If you are serving this to company and are in doubt about whether they like green chiles or not, just sprinkle them on half of the dish.

Recipe can be found on page 124 in 

MY KIND OF COOKING COOKBOOK

This is my most requested recipe.  Friends and family ask me to make it again and again.  I even received an email from England singing its praises and telling me it was their family's new favorite dish. 

People often ask how I come up with recipes.  One of the ways is to go to restaurants and figure out how they make the meal that I am eating.  Then go home and recreate it, using shortcuts to make it quicker, but without losing the flavor.  This is the first recipe I did that with.

My husband ordered this dish at a restaurant.  He liked it so much that he asked if I could make it at home.  I whipped out my notebook and began to make notes.  When I made it for the first time at home, my husband said it was better than the restaurants version.

Now when we go to restaurants, we make it a game to figure out what is in the dish and how we would remake it.  Our son has even joined the fun.  Next time you're out to eat with your family or friends, try it.