Chicken & Bacon Bowtie Bake

YUM!!

I got the original recipe from Family Circle magazine, I LOVED it the first time I made it! There were, of course, a couple of things I wanted to change, but still, sooo yummy! I even find myself craving it now! 

It takes about an hour, start to finish, if you're starting with frozen chicken. I'd say about 45 minutes if you remember to defrost the chicken before you're ready to cook- something I rarely do! Here's what you'll need:

• 12 oz Boneless, skinless chicken breast
• About 10 pieces of bacon
• 1 box (16oz.) tri-color bowtie pasta (any pasta is fine, I like to use the tricolor so you get your veggie serving in too, but I was obviously out last night when I made this)
• About 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
• 1 can Cream of Chicken soup
• 2 Tbs Flour
• 2 cups Milk
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• Salt & Pepper to taste

It's all done in the broiler, so heat that up while you're getting everything ready.

Grease a 2qt. casserole dish, and put your chicken in. You'll put that 4-7" from the flame for 7-8 minutes each side. You want the chicken cooked all the way through. When it's cooked, cut it into 1/2" pieces and set aside, but keep it warm. 

While the chicken is cooking, cook the pasta according to package directions (about 12 minutes). Drain the pasta and return it to the pan. 

While both of those things are cooking, you'll want to cook the bacon too. Once it's all cooked, chop/break it into small pieces and set aside. 

Finally, you have to make the sauce. In a medium saucepan, mix the soup and garlic salt. In a medium bowl, stir flour into milk. Slowly add the milk mixture to the soup mixture. Heat on low until everything is mixed nicely, then add about 1 cup of shredded cheese (add more or less depending on how cheesy you want it!). Heat until melted. 

When everything is done and ready, mix it all together in the pot with the pasta. Keep some bacon aside to sprinkle on top. Pour everything into the casserole dish, top with that extra bacon and the rest of the shredded cheese. Put it back in the broiler for 3-5 minutes, just until the cheese is browned. Serve immediately and ENJOY!!