Cheesy Chicken Pot Pasta

Since the husband isn't a huge fan of pasta, I try not to cook dishes with pasta too often, but when I do, I try to make sure that it is something wonderful!  This dish definitely falls under the wonderful category.

This recipe was originally called "One Pot Creamy Chicken and Noodles". That is a nice name and all, but after I prepared this dish, I decided that it tasted exactly like a cheesy chicken pot pie made with pasta noodles instead of the pie crust.  So since I altered the original recipe, I took it upon myself to also alter the name.  Therefore, I will now call it "Cheesy Chicken Pot Pasta".  This recipe will easily feed a family of four with a major possibility of leftovers.


INGREDIENTS:

2 TBSP olive oil
2 C total of chopped onions, celery and carrots (I used a half of a large onion, three celery stalks and two handfuls of baby carrots
1 TBSP garlic, minced
salt & pepper
3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cubed
2.5 C milk, divided
2 TBSP cornstarch
1.5 TBSP butter
3 heaping TBSP chicken bouillon granules, divided
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
2 C water
1 TBSP dried parsley
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 lb. dried linguini, broken in half
1.5C cheddar cheese, shredded and divided

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium/high heat.  Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic.  sauté in the olive oil just until the vegetables start to become tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the cubed chicken to the pot and season with salt and pepper.  sauté the chicken with the vegetables until it is no longer pink (there is not a need to cook it through as it will finish cooking as it simmers in the sauce).  As you sauté the chicken with the vegetables you'll need to prepare the cream sauce in a small sauce pan by whisking 1 cup of the milk with the cornstarch.  Place the sauce pan over medium/high heat and add the 1.5 TBSP of butter, 1 heaping tsp. of chicken bouillon granules, 1/2 tsp. of salt along with a dash of pepper.  Whisk together and continue to whisk until the mixture has thickened.  Remove from heat and add it into the large pot as soon as the chicken cubes are no longer pink.  Also mix in the remaining 1.5 C of milk, 2C of water, the remaining 2 heaping tsp. of chicken bouillon granules, the dried parsley, dried thyme, garlic powder, and dried linguini.  Bring to a boil and then turn down to low.  Allow to simmer for 20-25 minutes until the pasta is tender.  Stir every five minutes or so to prevent the noodles from sticking to one another.  Once the pasta if finished, removed the pot from the heat and stir in 1 C of shredded cheddar cheese.  Top with the remaining .5 C and allow to sit and rest for five minutes or so until the cheese becomes melted and the sauce has thickened.  ENJOY!

Adapted from yellowblissroad.com's recipe for "creamy chicken and noodles"