Healthy Chicken Vegetable Penne

I was first introduced to this recipe by Stoffer's. I had just picked my daughter up from school, she was hungry and I hadn't even started dinner! Tisk, tisk. The closest thing to us to a grocery store was Walgreens. We headed into Walgreens determined to find something edible and healthy. To the freezer section! There were many choices but the reason I was attracted to this dish was obvious......zucchini. My daughter was skeptical. She hadn't yet discovered the delicate flavor of a cooked zucchini. One bite and we were hooked! Although the package should be enough for two, my daughter is um "growing" and tends to eat larger portions. That coupled with the fact that I like to take store bought meals and make them home made inspired me to recreate this dish.

My first attempts were very successful but they were missing the cheese sauce. I tried Ragu Parmasean sauce and was disappointed at the flavor of the sauce. After re-examining the Stoffer's package I noted the ingredients in their cheese sauce:  parmasean and asiago. I was lucky to find a nice parmasean, asiago, romano blend at the grocery store for $3.99. I made a Bechamel sauce, added the cheeses and voila! 

CHICKEN VEGETABLE PENNE

My Re-creation

1 cup cooked seasoned chicken (diced)

1 1/2 cups penne pasta

1/2 cup red bell pepper (chopped)

1/2 cup yellow bell pepper (chopped)

1 zucchini cut into small slices

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 cup parmasean, asiago, romano cheeses

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flower

2 cups milk

salt and pepper

Bechamel

Melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and stir until blended. Whisk in milk. Cook for at least a minute. Heat through. Add a sprinkle of salt and a sprinkle of pepper. Add cheese and continue to stir until incorporated. Simmer for about 15 minutes.

Pour enough of the sauce over the chicken and vegetables to coat and moisten the dish.. Gently toss. Serve warm.

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