Chicken Suiza Pasta Bake
“Suiza”, or Swiss, enchiladas are so named because of their copious amounts of dairy. In this indulgent pasta dish, I used copious amounts of dairy. Creamy, easy comfort food that will warm your soul, this Chicken Suiza Pasta Bake recipe makes enough to serve the crowd.
So, Feliz Navidad to you and yours! This is the first recipe I have posted in about a month, so I wanted to make it a good’un and this casserole sure is! December is always hellahectic so I have to scale back somewheres, and this year my blog is what got back-burnered. Life is what it is and we gotta give and take, and right now other areas (little things like my job and my family) are getting the majority of my giving.
My husband and I just celebrated 5 years of marital bliss together …read “bliss” with a touch of sarcasm – cuz if you are married, then you know… But it is worth the work and completely worth it to grow together. We make each other better people – more patient, less stubborn, and quicker to forgive especially the little stuff that won’t matter a bit down the road. That’s what I think we’ve figured out at least. …We celebrated with a no kids Disney weekend! If you are in a position to ever do Disney without the kids I soooo recommend it. We did a slew of behind the scenes backstage tour stuff and just had a complete blast. We were able to ride rides …together. We also had the really nice dinners. You know, the kind where you are able to actually eat without having to take anyone to the bathroom to pee. It was wonderful.
We are such dorks …the photographer tried to get us to smooch but we kept knockin hats…
Any-hoots, THIS…
…this Chicken Suiza Pasta Bake casserole. Is delicious. Creamy. Cheesy. Green chili. This dish is perfect to make before or during the holidays because it serves a bunch and leftovers reheat perfectly well. Make this to have on hand for your family and visitors so you’re then free to run around doing all that last-minute stuff. Or bring it to a potluck, party, or as a gift to someone who could use the kind of comfort that only creamy pasta provides. This recipe uses mild green chilies, so it is not spicy – it’s safe 🙂 Just tasty tasty goodness!
Chicken Suiza Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 2 lbs skinless bone-in chicken thighs
- kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 4 cups milk
- 4 cups 4-cheese Mexican blend shredded cheeses divided
- 1 cup reduced fat sour cream
- 2 (4 oz) cans chopped green chilies
- 1 lb ziti shaped pasta uncooked
- ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 Tbsp freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- ½ tsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper and grill or bake until cooked through but juicy, with the juices no longer pink. This can be done on the grill for ~20 minutes or in the oven at 400°F for ~20-25 minutes. Either way, the chicken is done when the internal thigh temperature reaches 165°F. Set aside until chicken is cool enough to handle, then remove the meat and chop.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, make the green chili cheese sauce: whisk the butter and flour together in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat until smooth and bubbly. Once bubbly, cook ~1-2 minutes to form a roux. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook, stirring constantly, until milk is very warm and just starting to give off a bit of steam. Remove from the heat and whisk in 2 cups shredded cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir in the green chilies. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions to al dente. Drain and add to the green chili cheese sauce. Pour all into a large casserole dish. Top with the remaining 2 cups shredded cheese.
- In a small bowl, stir together the panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and olive oil. Sprinkle over top the casserole. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes until warmed, golden, and bubbly. Garnish with a little fresh chopped parsley.