Saw this on a facebook page, went right to it, and had to make it! It is from the Better Homes and Garden’s test kitchens. Made it ahead of time and refrigerated it until about 1 hour before dinner and then popped it into the oven. It was the perfect side to go with dinner. I omitted the chicken since I was serving it as a side dish, and it was still wonderful. Even better was the fact that the leftovers were just as great warm or cold. This makes 12 servings, so 1/2 the recipe if you are only wanting it for one meal.
Ingredients:
10 oz. dried cheese tortellini, or 9 oz. refrigerated or frozen tortellini
1 med. carrot sliced
1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas – halved crosswise
1 Tbs. butter
1 lb chicken breast – skinless, boneless, cut into bite size pieces
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 tsp flour
1 1/2 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 cup milk
8 oz. cream cheese – cubed and softened
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 cup cherry / grape tomatoes – quartered or halved
1 red pepper – coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped up broccoli – we added this
2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
* Cook tortellini in salted water according to directions on pkg. During the last 5 minutes add the carrot, then during the last minute add the peas. Drain.
* In a skillet heat the butter, add the chicken and mushrooms and cook about 5 mins, or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from skillet.
* In a jar or bottle combine broth and all the seasoning and flour, shake until smooth. Add this to the skillet with the milk. Cook until thick and bubbly. Add the cream cheese, keep stirring until all smooth and blended. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Add the pasta, chicken, and tomatoes and pepper. Toss to coat.
* Place mixture into an ungreased 9×13 dish. Bake covered in a 350 degree oven for 30 -35 min. or until heated through. Stir mixture, sprinkle with the parm cheese. Bake uncovered 5 more minutes. If you placed the casserole in the fridge for later, you need to increase baking time to 50-55 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
