Chicken, cheese and pasta. And a few vegetables for good measure.

This meal started out from a search for a quick and easy skillet dish. It went through several iterations of “make it all from scratch” to “frozen everything for convenience.” I think I’ve come back to the middle of the road with a mix of fresh ingredients and prepared ingredients. I do use canned chicken here so that it’s tender and makes preparation easy. Feel free to substitute freshly cooked chicken breast if that’s your preference.

Recipe Ingredients

• 12.5 ounce (354 grams) can cooked chicken breast
• 8 ounces rotini pasta, uncooked
• 1 large head of broccoli
• 1 large carrot
• 120 grams (4 ounces) grape or cherry tomatoes
• 115 grams (4 ounces) processed cheese food
• 115 grams (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• ¹⁄₂ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon garlic
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon black pepper, ground
• Water to boil pasta
• Olive oil

Recipe Directions

Preparations

1. Boil water and cook 8 ounces of uncooked rotini until al dente
   • Drain pasta after it has finished cooking
2. Chop 1 large head of broccoli into small pieces
3. Chop 1 large carrot into small pieces
4. Quarter 120 grams (4 ounces) of grape or cherry tomatoes
5. Drain most of the water from a 12.5 ounce can of cooked chicken breast

Cooking Instructions

1. Add chopped broccoli and carrots to a heated saute pan (with olive oil) and season with ¹⁄₂ teaspoon of salt
2. Saute vegetables until the broccoli starts to darken
3. Add chopped tomatoes and cook entire vegetable mixture until it starts to soften
   1. Turn down heat and continue to cook vegetables until they are at the desired softness
   2. Add additional oil if needed
4. Into a large, deep pan add ¹⁄₂ cup of milk, 4 ounces of processed cheese food and 4 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese and stir until the cheese is melted
5. Add 1 teaspoon of paprika, ¹⁄₂ teaspoon of dried garlic, ¹⁄₂ teaspoon of salt and ¹⁄₂ teaspoon of ground black pepper and stir into cheese mixture
6. Add canned chicken to the cheese mixture and break up any large pieces
7. Add vegetables to cheese mixture and stir to combine
8. Add cooked rotini to cheese and vegetable mixture, stir to combine and heat until hot all the way through
   

Notes

You can substitute a can of tomatoes and green chilis for the grape/cherry tomatoes. You can also cook and shred chicken breast rather than using canned chicken if so desired.

Generally inspired by Velveeta Cheesy Chicken Rotini from My Food and Family. The original recipe, however, looks very different to my version.

Revision: 7/10/2023