Sparks from the Kitchen

Maybe I live in the wrong part of the country or don’t pay attention to enough of what goes on in Texas but I’d never heard of ‘chicken spaghetti’ before I saw this recipe on Maeghan‘s blog.  Which is ironic because she had never heard of it either until she came across it in a cookbook, The Homesick Texan’s Family Table. Well she made it and was nice enough to post the recipe. I’m glad she shared it because it’s DELICIOUS!!!  A sort of spaghetti and cheese with some Tex-Mex flavors and chicken.  Um, yes please.

Perhaps you’ve never heard of it either.  Well-today’s your lucky day because this is one super-tasty, easy to make, cheesy dish. It has a hint of heat-just right for the dish if you ask me and I like spicy, but with the chicken and cheese I didn’t want overpowering hotness.

Lone Star Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients:

• 8 ozs spaghetti
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 2 jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise, stemmed and seeded
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1&1/2 tbsp light butter (for panko #3 below)
• 1/2 cup panko
• 2 tbsp light unsalted butter (for cheese sauce #5 below)
• 2 tbsp AP flour
• 2 cups 2% milk, plus more if needed
• 2 cups freshly grated light sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 cups freshly grated light monterey jack cheese
• 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp ancho chili powder
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, and a bit more for garnish
• 2 tsp fresh lime juice
• 4 cups cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small bite-sized pieces.

Instructions:

1. Turn on broiler and move top oven rack so that it’s about 6 inches from the broiler.  Arrange tomatoes and jalapenos skin side up in one layer on a foil lined baking sheet along with the onions and garlic. Broil for 5-7 minutes until skin blisters. Remove and let cool.  Reduce heat to 350F.
2. Cook spaghetti until it’s al dente in a pot of lightly salted water. Drain, rinse and set aside.
3. While the spaghetti is cooking place butter in a small sauce pan and melt. Add the panko and toast until just golden brown. Set aside.
4. Spray a dutch oven with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
5. Melt the butter in a deep sauce pan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour until well combined and slightly browned-about 30-45 seconds. Slowly pour in the milk and cook, stirring, until sauce thickens and will coat the back of a spoon, 3-5 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in most of the cheese, about 1/4 cup at a time, leaving a small bit of both aside for later.
6. Put the chicken, spaghetti, roasted vegetables and pepper, herbs and spices and lime juice to the waiting dutch oven and stir to mix evenly. Pour the cheese sauce over and stir to evenly combine. Sprinkle the reserved grated cheese and panko over the top.
7. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until brown and bubbling.
8. Sprinkle with reserved cilantro and serve.

Yummy bubbling cheese!!

Adapted from The Way to His Heart.