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This Friday’s Favorite was not on the original meal plan for the week but when I received the phone call that our friends, The Kangs, had just had their SIXTH baby girl and asked if I could take dinner in – I knew what I would make.
This is my favorite meal to make when I am asked to take dinner into someone; first, because it is so good and second, because it makes a TON – and I mean a TON!!
I halved the recipe and had enough to fill two 9 x 13’s!! One for us and one for them.
LA Notes: When precooking the pasta be sure and cook it “al dente” so that it doesn’t get too soft after baking the dish in the oven. Don’t let the amount of cream used scare you too much (this is not a low calorie dish) – remember it makes a TON!
The Kangs loved it and asked for the recipe so I thought I’d share it with all of you.
Just had to share a picture of the darling Kang girls with my two girls - this was taken before Baby Lilly was born but you will know exactly what Lilly looks like when you look at her sisters – DARLING!
I found the recipe on the food blog Pimp My Dinner - remember I halved the recipe!
Ingredients:
12 oz. grilled chicken breast (marinate in olive oil and garlic salt overnight, then grill on barbecue for best flavor)
½ pack thick bacon
48 oz. (3 boxes) penne pasta
2 large red bell peppers- diced
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp paprika
Gratinata Sauce:
2 tsp butter
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 cup marsala wine OR 1/3 cup apple juice + 2 tbsp red wine vinegar +enough chicken broth to equal 1 cup
1 tsp dijon or dry mustard
1 tsp salt1 tsp chopped rosemary
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
8 cups heavy cream
Directions:
Sauté garlic in butter in large pan. Add marsala wine, mustard, salt, rosemary, cayenne pepper, and heavy cream.Cook pasta according to directions. Cook bacon. Slice chicken into medium-bite size pieces.Combine sauce, cooked pasta, diced chicken, cooked bacon, bell peppers, parmesan cheese, and paprika and mix thoroughly. Spread in pans. Top with chopped rosemary and mozzarella cheese.
Bake @ 475 for 10 minutes. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator the day of. Cover with foil and bake @ 375 for 1 hour. Remove foil during the last 15 minutes.
Number Of Servings: Yields one 8×8 and two 9×13 casserole dishes.
Preparation Time: More than an hour
Popularity: 79% [?]
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I’m really excited about this recipe. First because it looks delicious and second, because I have to bring dinner to someone and was searching around for what to bring. Yum!
How was Florida?
I am totally trying this~you and your recipes absolutely ROCK~!
Cute kids! Thanks for sharing the recipe, your photo makes it look like a must try!
I made this tonight and it was a HUGE hit! I served an olive and tomato focacia from Trader Joes on the side (salad & broccoli too.)
Thank you, I think it’s even better than Macaroni Grill.
Amy
I am very interested in trying this recipe but again, have a question. 12 oz. of grilled chicken doesn’t seem like a lot of meet compared to how much pasta. Isn’t that the equivalent of about 1 1/2 cups? How many boneless chicken breasts do you think you use with this recipe and how much olive oil and garlic do you marinate them in overnight?
Thank you again for sharing and for you help.
Just wanted to let you know I’m enjoying your recipes. We LOVE the coconut chicken and just tried this pasta tonight. It was delicious. Thanks again.
cant wait to try!!!!!
I am responsible for a youth conference in a few weeks and wondered if you thought that this recipe would appeal to teens? Also, what would you suggest as accompanyment? I think that I will try your taco/burrito bar for one of the needed meals. Thanks for your suggestions and recipes.
Carole,
I think this recipe would be perfect for your conference. I have served it at a Young Women’s dinner and then for a Missionary Zone Conference and it was a big hit at both. I did add extra chicken for the zone conference though. We served it with a nice green salad and garlic bread. Good luck!
Leigh Anne, it is Carole Lee again… I am trying out this dish tonight and questioning if it really only needs to bake for 10 minutes? Thanks.
I am also wondering about the 10 minute baking time … is that just for the first 10 minutes and then uncover and bake at 350 for an additional hour? Thanks for your response.
By the way, I LOVE this blog! Wonderful recipes!!!
Debra,
If you are baking it right away it only needs 10-15 minutes because everything is cooked. It just needs to be heated up. If you have refrigerated or frozen it it will taken longer – one hour to cook if it is frozen. Thanks and glad you enjoy the blog!
This looks fabulous.
Hello, I just found your blog, as I was googling images for Hawaiian Haystacks, my friend mentioned. I had never heard of them, and I saw your beautiful photo of it! Then I peeked around some, and found this delicious dish! Glad I found you! I’ve put your feed in my reader to follow along. =)
Ok, I made this for my mother-in-law’s birthday last Sunday! I also served a green salad and the garlic knots. For dessert I made the sour cream lemon pie. HOLY COW Leigh Anne, I was the ultimate hit with the kiddos, hubby and mil! Thanks for this site – I truly love it all and love how you do everything with excellence. Blessings….
Just made this for the hubby last night for dinner!!!! It was amazing!!!!!!! thanks for posting this recipe and your website! love, love, love it! you’re great!
Making it this weekend. I’m salivating at the thought.
I’m making this for dinner tomorrow night for some friends. I bought the ingredients from memory and bought sun-dried tomatoes instead of red peppers. Do you think it will still work? I’ve been dying to try this recipe too. I’m excited.
HA! I made it over the weekend and thought I’d tackle the whole recipe. I got one 9×13, one 7×11, and 2 8×8 pans. It’s extra delicious when you put a lot of mozz. on the top and let it get all crispy against the sides. It was a huge hit with the group I served it too.
I’m planning to try this next week since I got alot of pasta on sale at Winn Dixie. How much olive oil and garlic salt should I use for marinating? I plan to halve the recipe but I do want to use 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I’m going to try and do them on the George Foreman grill. Wish me luck!!!
Okay – another one for the dinner rotation!!! Mine didn’t look as pretty as your pic but it was definitely a household hit! Here is what I did:
I put about 5 or 6 chicken breasts in a ziploc bag, shook in a heavy amount of garlic salt, added enough EVOO to heavily coat the breasts, zipped it closed, mushed the bag to distribute and put it in the fridge overnight.
Yesterday, I took them out and grilled them on the George Foreman.
I used a whole 12 oz pack of bacon minus a few strips that my son snatched to eat.
I only used one red bell pepper.
I only used a 16 oz pack of penne pasta.
I only used 32 oz of heavy cream for the gratinata sauce but the rest of the seasonings I used the amount listed (I used dried rosemary leaves since I didn’t have fresh)
I didn’t use paprika or cayenne pepper because I was out. We had enough for 3 adults plus we have leftovers for tonight to finish it off! Thanks so much. Can’t wait to try the next recipe!
Ohh…you just made my husband a VERY happy man!
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
~Karla @ It’s The Little Things…
I just printed this recipe off! It looks way too good!! Thank you!
I know that the one at Macaroni Grill has some shrimp too. Do you think if I add shrimp that I should reduce the chicken? Would it be good with shrimp do you think?
Heather,
Since there is not a ton of chicken in the recipe I’d leave the same amount of chicken and just add in some shrimp – yummy!!