Southwest Chicken Pasta Skillet Dinner

A big thank you to Skinner® for partnering with Restless Chipotle to bring you this easy Southwest Chicken Pasta Skillet dinner. This 30-minute meal is perfect for those busy back to school weeknights or impromptu dinners with friends. Tender chicken in a cheesy, southwestern sauce is mixed with pasta and done in 30 minutes. One whiff of this and your family will be headed for the table!

For this recipe you’ll need: Skinner Texas Shape pasta, butter, olive oil, boneless chicken breast, salt, pepper, onion, jalapeno, garlic, fire roasted tomatoes with chiles, all-purpose flour, evaporated milk, cumin, smoked paprika, Pepper Jack cheese, Cheddar cheese, cilantro

We eat a lot of pasta around here, especially now that back to school season is upon us. Those long, lazy days of summer are just a foggy blur of memory for me – I swear it went April, May, August this year!

The Restless Chipotle Channel

I like making pasta because not only is it comfort food, I mean really – it’s pasta, but it’s nice to be able to have a dinner that everyone loves on the table thirty minutes after I close the computer for the day, you know? Pasta is forgiving, too. If it’s one of those nights where everyone is going in different directions at different times this Southwest Chicken Pasta waits patiently to be warmed up as needed.

Not gonna lie – I like that it’s a Texas made product! I’m proud of the fact that Skinner pasta is enriched and has earned Non-GMO Project Verification on its most popular pasta products. (The Non-GMO Project is the only entity in North America that offers third-party verification and labeling for products made according to rigorous best practices for GMO avoidance.)  And, they make a variety of pastas from spaghetti to my favorite, the Skinner Texas Shape pasta.

Even better – in honor of National Friendship Day, Skinner is partnering with Instacart to provide free grocery delivery for customers only in Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Dallas. Just buy one (1) package of Skinner pasta and get free grocery delivery. Customers who don’t qualify for free delivery (e.g. Instacart Express Customers or first time customers) will receive $5 off their order. (Delivery must be $35 or more to quality for free delivery or $5 off.)

I mean, GROCERY delivery, y’all. Life doesn’t get easier than that. Great timing, don’t you think?

Texas Sized Giveaway

How would you like to win a three-night stay at the Marriott Marquis Houston for you and a friend? What if I told you that it included airfare AND $500 in spending money? Enter until 9/6/2017 11:59:59 p.m. CDT by visiting HowdySkinner.com and reading the official rules.

Southwest Chicken Pasta Recipe

Give this a try and see what you think – I know you’ll love this family pleasing Southwest Chicken Pasta! Be sure to give the Tex-Mex Pasta Salad a try, too!

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Southwest Chicken Pasta

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

Southwest Chicken Pasta is a family favorite weeknight meal. Tender chicken in a creamy, cheesy, southwestern sauce is mixed with pasta and done in 30 minutes. 

Course: Dinner (quick and easy)

Cuisine: American - Southwest

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 501 kcal

Author: Marye Audet

Ingredients

• 1 lb Skinner® Texas Shape pasta cooked and drained
• 2 tablespoons butter , may need a little more
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 onion , large - finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper cleaned and diced small, optional
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 12 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes and chiles
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 12 ounces evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 cup PepperJack cheese grated
• 1 cup Cheddar cheese grated
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves , chopped plus more for garnish

Instructions

1. Mix the cheese together and set aside.

2. Melt 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil in a frying pan over high heat.

3. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.

4. Add the chicken to the hot pan, turn to medium high, and cook until pale golden and just cooked through, about 7 minutes per side.

5. Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool slightly while you're preparing the sauce.

6. Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil to the same pan and turn the heat to medium.

7. Add the onion, jalapeno, and garlic, and saute until the onion is translucent.

8. Cube chicken.

9. Transfer the onion mixture into to the bowl with the chicken.

10. Add more butter to the pan if needed. Add the flour to the pan and whisk for 2 minutes.

11. Whisk in the evaporated milk, cumin, and smoked paprika.

12. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil.

13. Simmer until the sauce thickens, whisking constantly.

14. Whisk in the cheese, cilantro, and  tomatoes.

15. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

16. Add the pasta and cook until it is tender.

17. Drain.
18. Add the pasta, chicken mixture, and cilantro to the sauce.
19. Toss until the sauce coats the pasta and the mixture is well blended.

Nutrition Facts

Southwest Chicken Pasta

Amount Per Serving

Calories 501 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 20g 31%

Saturated Fat 10g 50%

Cholesterol 74mg 25%

Sodium 945mg 39%

Potassium 546mg 16%

Total Carbohydrates 51g 17%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 7g

Protein 27g 54%

Vitamin A 12.3%

Vitamin C 10.7%

Calcium 35.3%

Iron 10.3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Skinner® pasta. All opinions are my own.