Take-out Tuesday, Chicken Alfredo with Spinach and Artichokes

Apparently Calamity Jane had so much fun with us this summer she told her cousin, Wendy Waterfall, to pay us a visit…
The Waterworks called Sunday afternoon to tell my husband that the water line from his office building burst and water was flowing happily down the street over a mile away.
Yikes!! $$$$$$$
The plumber said it would take several days to fix, and he’d have to tear up the driveway, and run a whole new line. $$$$$$$
HH has to close his office for at least 3 days…which means he will be home all week…
I needed some serious comforting
A lot of comforting~
A little pasta with chicken, ham, a creamy Parmesan sauce, spinach and artichokes is bound to make this situation easier to swallow!
Are you starting to feel better?
After a couple of bites, I totally forgot about the plumbers bill, the water bill, the fact that Super Boy has had the flu for 5 days and has been here most of the time, that my husband is going to be home until Jan 6…BUT!
I did get a flu shot today, better late than never, and it is the holidays, and I am so so lucky and grateful for all my blessings… AND
I’m full of yummy pasta! This is kinda like spinach artichoke dip meets chicken~and ham~ and alfredo~ and you will be ever so glad!

CHICKEN ALFREDO WITH SPINACH AND ARTICHOKES
Ingredients
- 6-8 boneless chicken tenders or 2-3 boneless breasts
- 4-6 oz deli ham optional
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 box Stouffer’s frozen Creamed Spinach defrosted
- 1 can artichoke hearts rinsed, drained and chopped into bite size pieces
- 1/2 tub of Buitoni Light Alfredo sauce about 1/2 cup
- 4 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 8 oz. tubular pasta such as penne or ziti
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- 1 T butter
- 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs for topping [optional]
Instructions
- Saute onion in butter and a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat until transparent.
- Push the onion to the side of the skillet, increase heat to medium high and add chicken tenders. Saute chicken 2-3 minutes a side until starting to brown.
- Remove chicken and chop into bite sized pieces.
- Return chicken to skillet and add ham. Give it a few stirs until it begins to brown. Add artichokes and stir. Pour defrosted spinach into skillet, stir and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Top with half the Parmesan and set aside.
- Cook pasta until just done. Drain the pasta and put it into a sprayed 8″ x 8″ deep casserole dish.
- Microwave Alfredo sauce for 1 minute on high.
- Pour 1/2 of container [or however much you want!] over hot pasta.
- Add 1/2 of remaining cheese and toss to coat noodles with sauce.
- Transfer chicken and vegetables to casserole placing on top of pasta. Stir gently to combine. Top with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs.
- At this point the casserole can be covered and refrigerated overnight.
- Uncover and bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes until bubbling and heated through. Serves 6
You can vary this recipe in so many ways:
Use just one meat or poultry, like leftover turkey or rotisserie chicken
Substitute bacon or prosciutto for ham
Eliminate the meat altogether
Eliminate the pasta and serve this over a baked potato.
Instead of creamed spinach use mixed vegetables, or asparagus and mushrooms, whatever you like and add a little cream cheese or cream
Substitute a can of cream soup or a white sauce for the Alfredo sauce
…………………………………….
Here’s my recipe:
Thanks for visiting, I hope this casserole idea helps your holiday season be a little more stress free!
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Oh dear…what a time of year for unexpected bills$$$$$! Love your comforting solution Jenna and the idea of spooning it over a baked potato too! I think I would need more than one casserole if my hubby was home until January 6th, I’ve told him he has to get a part time job or spend more time fishing when he retires 🙂
Thank you for the nice recipe. Happy Holidays to you and your family.
>________________________________ > From: the Painted Apron >To: lizzm@att.net >Sent: Tuesday, December 17, 2013 3:01 AM >Subject: [New post] Take-out Tuesday, Chicken Alfredo with Spinach and Artichokes > > > WordPress.com >the Painted Apron posted: “Apparently Calamity Jane had so much fun with us this summer she told her cousin, Wendy Waterfall, to pay us a visit… The Waterworks called Sunday afternoon to tell my husband that the water line from his office building burst and water was flowi” >
I love…you need serious comfort…girlfriend…so do I☺ Love this recipe!
This looks amazing, I am printing in now.
Good luck with the water problems too.