Homemade Chicken Pasta Bake

Hi guys!

So this year, i’ve really tried to make more of an effort with cooking meals. I’ve always made excuses like ” I don’t have time to cook” or ” I can bake, but i’m no good at cooking” but decided that if I want to loose weight and be healthier, then I need to start cooking things from scratch. Anyway, I love pasta – you can never go wrong with it. So after watching a Jade Billington vlog where she made a sausage and pepperoni cheesy pasta bake ( Sounds yummy, but no one in my house would like it except for me) I decided to make my own, but adapting it a little bit to suit my family. Heres how I made it.

Ingredients:

• Pasta ( I didn’t measure it, I just did it by eye)
• Sunflower Oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Paprika
• Chicken
• Tomato Ragu
• Mature cheddar cheese.

Instructions:

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Put some pasta in a pan and add sunflower oil (or any other cooking oil you may have) into a pan, before adding a pinch of salt and boiling water. Leave the pasta to simmer for 20 minutes.

Cut your chicken into small chunks so it cooks quickly ( or you can buy it readily prepared) and put it into a baking dish with a small amount of oil. Cook for 25 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally to ensure both sides are cooked.

When the pasta is soft, drain it and add a teaspoon of butter to add flavour. Mix thoughroughly. Take your chicken out of the oven, and coat it with a sprinkling of salt, pepper and paprika – before moving it to a different bowl.

In the same baking tray, pour a small amount of pasta sauce in the bottom of the dish so its covered. Then begin to layer it with pasta, then chicken, then cheese. Continue these individual layers until the pasta and chicken is gone ( It should create 2-3 layers.).

Bake for 30 minutes. Once its finished, take it out of the oven and serve immediately. I like to add serve mine with garlic bread and salad, but it’s completely up to you!

Final thoughts:

Although i’m a bit gutted that no one else wants to try this with sausage and pepperoni ( Like Jade did), it still tastes amazing with chicken and is super easy to make! I would definite recommend it for anyone who wants a easy, rich, filling and comforting meal!

Whats your favourite pasta dish? Let me know in the comments below!

Take care,

~ Emma x