Italian Baked Spaghetti

Servings: 6-8 | Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time:  30-45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded chicken, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 links hot Italian turkey sausage
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 10 oz button mushrooms, chopped
• 6 sundried tomatoes, chopped
• 1lb gluten-free store-bought spaghetti
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 Tbsp Better Batter All-Purpose Flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3+ cups chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp fresh basil leaves, minced
• 1 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat and prepare. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees and spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

 

Boil the pasta. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 8-10 minutes or as written on the package instructions. Drain and set aside.

 

Cook the sausage. Remove the sausage from the casing and cook in a skillet with olive oil over medium heat. Break up the sausage into small pieces and cook 6-8 minutes or until it is no longer pink. Remove and drain on paper towels. Add the mushrooms to the skillet. When they give off their liquid, add the green peppers and sundried tomatoes, then cook until just beginning to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and set aside on top of the sausage.

 

Make the sauce. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute until all flour is incorporated into the butter. Add 2 cups of chicken broth, whisking to incorporate. Add remaining chicken broth and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens, about 5-7 minutes. Add the milk and continue to whisk. Remove from the heat and add the basil, 3/4 c Parmesan cheese, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the shredded chicken, sausage, and vegetables. Add the cooked pasta and toss well to combine.

 

Assemble and bake. Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 c Parmesan cheese. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes then uncover and bake up to an additional 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve with a side garden salad.

 

Make ahead and freeze. Line a 9x13 casserole dish with two sheets of foil, then lightly spray foil with cooking spray. Pour pasta mixture into the prepared dish and cool completely. Cover well with foil and freeze.

 

*To bake from frozen, preheat oven to 325F degrees and cook foil-covered casserole for 2 hours, then increase the temperature to 375F, uncover and bake until heated through, about 15-20 minutes more.

 

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman