Chicken Mac and Cheese

(Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens)

Ingredients:
1 lb. skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves
1-2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, crushed
Salt and ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. dried mostaccioli, ziti or penne pasta
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 c.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
3 c. milk
8 oz. smoked cheddar, Gruyere or Swiss cheese, shredded (2 cups)
2 c. soft sourdough or French bread crumbs
2 oz. finely shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese (1/2 cup)
3 Tbsp. butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.  In a large skillet cook chicken, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in hot oil over medium heat until chicken is no longer pink.  Remove chicken from skillet; set aside.

In a large pot or kettle, cook pasta according to package directions until just tender.  Drain; return pasta to pot.

Meanwhile, in the same skillet in which chicken was cooked, cook onion and garlic in 3 Tbsp. hot butter over medium heat until tender.  Stir in flour until well combined.  Stir in tomato paste.  Add milk.  Cook and stir until mixture is thickened and bubbly; reduce heat.  Add the shredded cheese.  Stir until cheese is almost melted.  Remove from the heat.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add sauce and chicken to cooked pasta in pot; stir to coat.  Spoon mixture into a 2 quart square or rectangular baking dish.

In a small bowl, stir together bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and 3 Tbsp. melted butter.  Sprinkle crumb mixture over pasta mixture.  Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until crumb mixture is golden and edges are bubbly.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.  

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