Sunday dinner: chicken enchilada pasta

So, usually (read always) when we eat pasta, we use Italian recipes. This is a stark departure from that norm. We rather enjoy chicken enchilada casserole, but that takes a good long time, so we thought we'd try transform the casserole into a pasta dish. Surprisingly, it worked pretty well. Give it a whirl sometime. Just to wet the appetite, the pictures come before the recipe.

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped
3 chicken thighs, cut into one inch cubes
3 medium plum tomatoes, chopped
6 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
1 four-ounce can chopped green chiles
Pickled jalapenos (optional)
5 tablespoons canola oil
5 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons AP flour
1 ½ cups chicken stock
1 ½ cups whole milk
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
½ teaspoon cumin
Mexican hot sauce (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
1 pound pasta (medium shells)

Directions

Start by putting 1 gallon of salted water on the stovetop over medium high heat.

Sautee the chopped onions with 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon canola oil over medium high heat until onions are translucent (5–7 minutes). At the same time, but in a different pan, brown chicken pieces with 1 tablespoon canola oil over medium high heat (4–5 minutes). When the onions and chicken are done, put them in a bowl.

In the bowl the onions were sautéed in, place 3 tablespoons canola oil and 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. When the butter melts, add the flour and incorporate. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Stir in chicken stock and milk. Stir in onions, chicken, cheese, green chiles, poultry seasoning, and cumin. Add salt and pepper to taste. When mixture comes to a slight boil, turn down temperature to medium low.

Boil the pasta according until al dente (about 8 minutes). Drain pasta and incorporate it into chicken mixture. Plate the pasta and serve with tomatoes, hot sauce, and jalapenos (if you so desire) added just before eating.