Pesto Chicken Penne

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 8 ounces penne pasta (we used whole grain)
• 2 (8 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
• 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 cup fat free greek yogurt (or fat free sour cream)
• 1 cup fat-free cottage cheese
• 1/4-1/2 cup prepared pesto sauce
• 1/3 cup fat-free half-and-half
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (you can sub sprinkle parmesan but it's not as good)

Recipe

• 1 cook penne according to package instructions.
• 2 while penne is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• 3 add chicken, onion flakes, garlic powder and seasoned salt and cook until chicken juices run clear or until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle.
• 4 drain pasta and add chicken to the pasta pot. gently toss to combine.
• 5 in a separate bowl, combine 1 cup cheddar cheese, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, pesto, half and half and shredded parmesan. mix well.
• 6 pour pesto mixture into the pot with chicken and pasta. stir gently until well coated.
• 7 pour mixture into a 7x11 glass baking dish.
• 8 sprinkle reserved 1/2 cup cheese over the penne mixture.
• 9 bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until it is hot and bubbly.
• 10 turn oven to broil and cook for 5 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown. watch it carefully because it can burn easily!