A Home Made Trial Meal

Good afternoon fellow bloggers! I welcome you to a new entry of E.M.E.F. Today, we are doing something a little different. Last week, my sister and I were discussing making a new meal... we made that meal last night, and might I say, it was amazing! Of course, it was a pasta dish because pasta is something we love. We are Italian and pasta *must* be in our diets. Let me state that the portions of this meal will feed a full sized family of 5. You can of course stash leftovers and reheat in the microwave later if you would like. So, let's get on with this recipe. We hope you enjoy it!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bake

You will need:

• 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1/2 to 1 pound packaged ham
• 2 pounds penne pasta
• 1 can (10.75 ounces) cheddar cheese soup
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1.5 sticks butter (12 tablespoons)
• 5 cups milk

Now that we have everything, we can begin!

1. Pre-boil chicken and chop your ham.
2. Once the chicken is boiled and safe to touch, chop it up as well.
3. Mix the ham and chicken together, and divide the mixture into two (2) casserole dishes.
4. Boil the pasta until al-dente.
5. Now to make the roux: melt the butter in a heavy-bottom pan.
6. Add the flour (all at once)
7. Make sure that the flour and butter are thouroughly mixed and not chunky.
8. Start adding your milk at a quarter cup each time, whisking constantly until it thickens a little.
9. By the time all of the milk is added, your sauce should be thick and creamy.
10. Add the cheese soup to your sauce and mix together.
11. Spread your sauce between your casserole dishes.
12. Split up the pasta between the dishes as well.
13. Mix the contents of the dishes until evenly coated.
14. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.
15. Serve hot and enjoy!

This was one of our easier dishes to make, however, the prep was a little extensive. In the end, the prep time won't matter because this dish is amazing! You can add any seasonings you so choose, like salt and pepper if it doesn't have enough. Enjoy it and I will see you all tomorrow! Good night!