BBQ Chicken Pasta Bake

BBQ Chicken Pasta Bake! A hearty plate of YUM!

I haven't updated the blog with a new recipe lately because there's been a lot of this going on lately:

The Littlest One is climbing the stairs, and sliding down on his belly!

Not to mention this!

The Mad Scientist is working on doing some extensive home repair!
Thankfully, the bathroom is now complete :)

And having to make this...

Yes, that is mold growing in our grout lines, and on our shower floor.

Into this! (Do you require power tools to clean your shower, because we do.)

Okay, so it's not picture perfect, but at least I don't need a shower after my shower.

In the midst of all this craziness, I'm still trying to maintain my sanity, work, and write cookbook reviews! Needless to say, I'm looking for simple, easy, and delicious ideas that will get me from fridge to table a little faster. While a cookbook is great for planning out meals, and trying complex new recipes, I find that winging it gets dinner to the table a little faster.

Enter this BBQ Chicken Pasta Bake.

This recipe is basically a new spin on Baked Ziti, which was one of the first dishes I learned how to cook without a recipe. It's a super simple recipe if you've got leftover chicken on hand (which I always do lately due to my obsession with beer can chicken.)

You've got tender pasta, ooey gooey cheese, virtuous vegetables, juicy flavorful chicken and tangy barbecue sauce.  In less than ten minutes of time, you've got dinner in the oven, and you can get back to life- like wiping the boogers off of your son's face.

So, if you need a recipe when life comes knocking, try out this BBQ Chicken Pasta Bake.

print recipe

BBQ Chicken Pasta Bake

by Hannah Rounds June-4-2014

Just about the easiest meal you will make this week :) BBQ Chicken, pasta, veggies, cheese sprinkled with cilantro and a dash of love.

Ingredients

• 12 Oz Penne Pasta
• 2 Cups Shredded Chicken
• 1 Cup Bell Peppers Chopped
• 1/2 Red Onion Chopped
• 6 oz Grape Tomatoes Diced
• 4 oz Colby Jack Cheese Shredded
• 1/2 Cup BBQ Sauce
• 1/4 Cup Cilantro

Instructions

1. Boil Pasta according to package instructions minus one minute (pasta should be very al dente). Meanwhile pre-heat your oven to 3502. Mix thoroughly Pasta, vegetables, chicken and bbq sauce. You may want to add more or less bbq sauce to suit your tastes.3. Pour pasta mixture into an 8X8 glass baking pan, and top with a generous layer of cheese4. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 until cheese is just starting to become brown. Pasta will be tender, and everything will be delicious.5. Top with fresh cilantro to serve.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Yield: 4 Servings