Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Ingredients

* 1-2 cups chicken, cooked & shredded or chopped

* 2 tbsp. olive oil

* 2 garlic cloves, minced

* 1 medium onion, diced

* 1 red pepper, diced

* 1 4 oz can diced green chiles

* 2 tsp. chili powder

* 1 tsp. cumin

* 2 cups green chili enchilada sauce

* 3/4 cup red enchilada sauce

* 2 cups shredded cheese, your choice

* 1 lb box penne pasta (or the pasta of your choice)

Directions

 

1. Cook the pasta according to the box directions.
2. Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet and cook onions for about 3-5 minutes.  Add garlic & red pepper and cook for another 3-5 minutes. 

3. Add cooked chicken, green chiles, cumin, chili powder, salt, & enchilada sauces.  Let sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes.

4. Add cheese and stir until the cheese is melted and heated through. 

5. Drain pasta & return to pot.  Pour sauce over pasta and mix well.  Serve and garnish if desired with avocado, tomato, green onion, and/or sour cream.

Notes

This is another option to use your leftover chicken and create a whole new meal.  I had about one and a half cups of leftover grilled chicken, so I tried out this recipe that I have had for a few weeks.  I made this while it was just three of us home for dinner, so I cooked an appropriate amount of pasta, and served the pasta with the sauce on the side.  I then froze the remaining sauce for a future dinner when Ryan is out of town!   The original recipe called for sour cream in the sauce, but we don't like sour cream here, so I gave the the recipe as I adapted it for us.  We thought it was really great! 

Update - September 7, 2012.  I served the kids this pasta while Ryan was out of town.  The sauce reheated beautifully, and the kids couldn't get enough of it!  This is definitely a keeper recipe!