Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine

Spoiler Alert:  It took me 1 hour to cook the chicken and pasta and to prep this dish! (although it might not take you as long)

However, it is a wonderfully creamy and delicious casserole, enough for 4 people.  I added crumbled bacon.  Cook for at least 25 minutes - it is dense and takes a while to heat up.

4 servings

15 calculated points

Torrontes

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Cooking spray
• 3 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 3 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (16-ounce) carton 2% low-fat cottage cheese
• 4 cups hot cooked penne (about 8 ounces uncooked tube-shaped pasta)
• 2 cups shredded roasted skinless, boneless chicken breast
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• ½ cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
• ½ cup 2% reduced-fat milk
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup, undiluted

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add spinach, oregano, and black pepper; sauté 3 minutes or just until spinach wilts.

Place cottage cheese in a food processor; process until very smooth. Combine spinach mixture, cottage cheese, pasta, chicken, 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, milk, and soup in a large bowl. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.