Healthy Recipes Blog

This is a great dish for any season, served with a fresh mixed salad…

Chicken & Pasta Bake - serves 4

2 tbsp oil
4 chicken breasts, thickly sliced
1 chopped onion
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 large red apple, chopped
250g (8 oz) cooked pasta (I use twists or macaroni)
salt & pepper
parsley leaves

Sauce:

350 ml (12 floz) milk
1 small onion
6 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
40 g (1.5 oz) butter
40 g (1.5 oz) plain flour
125 g (4 oz) grated cheese
pinch of ground nutmeg

Grease ovenproof dish (about 1.8 litre/3 pint) and cook the pasta according to the instructions on packet. Heat oil in frying pan and brown chicken pieces on all sides. Add the onion abd garlic and cook until soft. Remove from heat and stir in apple and cooked pasta and salt and pepper to taste.

Put milk, small sliced onion, peppercorns and bay leaf in a saucepan and bring to boil. Remove from heat and leave to infuse for 30 minutes. Strain through a sieve and discard solids.

Melt butter in a pan, stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and gradually stir in infused milk. Return to heat and bring back to the boil while stirring.

Reserve a handful of the grated cheese and stir the rest in the sauce with the nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken mixture and stir thoroughly. Spoon mixture into ovenproof dish and sprinkle with reserved cheese.

Bake in the middle of preheated oven 200°C (400°F, Gas Mark 6) for 25 minutes, until the top is golden. Serve garnished with parsely and with a crunchy salad.