White Cheddar Chicken Pasta

I’m always looking for good pasta recipes and thought this one looked good. I made it for the family last week and we decided it was definitely a keeper. It was very good and pretty easy to make (don’t be scared by the long list of ingredients – it’s not that bad!). The only negative is that it uses white cheddar cheese which is twice as expensive as the regular cheddar. But the white cheese was really delicious and definitely worth the extra expense.

For the chicken:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (I used one teaspoon dried thyme)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix together mustard, thyme, salt and pepper and sprinkle over chicken pieces. When pan is hot, add chicken and brown about 3 minutes per side until cooked through. Remove to a plate and cover with foil.

For the pasta:

1 pound rotini or other short cut pasta
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely diced
¼ cup chicken broth (1/4 tsp. chicken bouillon in ¼ cup hot water)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
8 oz. sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups milk (you can mix in 2 tablespoons heavy cream for a little extra richness)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (I used one teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon fresh oregano (I used 1 teaspoon dried)
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
parmesan cheese to taste

Heat water to boiling in a large stock pot for pasta, add salt and pasta and cook to al dente and drain according to directions.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add flour and whisk to
combine. Add chicken broth, garlic, onions, and mustard. Cook about 5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Reduce heat to low and slowly add milk, stirring to combine. Cook about 5-7 minutes more until mixture begins to thicken. Add cheese and stir
to melt. Add chicken and pasta and toss to incorporate sauce. Add thyme and oregano and serve topped with crushed red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese.

This recipe from http://homeiswheretheholmansare.blogspot.com/2010/05/white-cheddar-chicken-pasta.html.