So I am sitting outside, (baby napping, that is why I am actually sitting) watching and listening to my girls and two friends in our (small) pool. They are having so much fun! Laughing, splashing, taking breaks to sit and sip their lemonade in their chairs and then running and jumping back into the pool to do it all over again. I was thinking about how this is what summer means. Fun, relaxation, hanging out with friends and just a general time to unwind.
That is why when dinnertime comes around, it is so nice to not really have a lot of work to do! We all love to throw stuff on the grill in the summer, but sometimes that can even be time consuming and a lot of early prep. I have recently been in search of good, wholesome meals, that require little prep time, not a lot of stove, oven or grill time and are easy clean-up. Do you think I am dreaming of the impossible? Maybe, but I made this the other night and it really was easy, my oven didn’t have to be turned on, and it was delicious! I served it with some corn on the cob and some crunchy red and yellow pepper slices and we had a balanced dinner. Watermelon for dessert and we were all full and happy!
The creaminess of the sauce is reminiscent of something that would pack on calories, but using low fat sour cream solves that problem. I used a rotisserie chicken to save even more time, but feel free to boil your own chicken breasts and chop them up too. I also like it because it is almost a one pot meal. You just need one more pot to boil the pasta in, but other than that, everything goes in the same pan=easy clean up!
Creamy Chicken Enchilada Pasta
1 cup red pepper, diced
1 cup yellow pepper, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 tblsp canola oil
1 can of diced mild green chiles
1 can of sliced olives
1 can mild red enchilada sauce
1 can mild green enchilada sauce
1 tsp salt
2 cups chicken breast, cubed
1 cup sour cream
2 cups small pasta, cooked
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese (I used low fat)
Heat canola oil in a large saute pan. Add peppers and onions and cook 3-5 minutes until tender. Add chilis, olives, enchilada sauces, and salt. Stir well. Add chicken and stir until coated. Cook 5 minutes. Add sour cream and stir until well blended and creamy. Cook over low heat 2-3 minutes until heated through-do not boil. Add pasta and combine well. Sprinkle cheddar cheese evenly over the top and cover pot. Turn off heat and leave covered for 5 minutes while cheese melts.
Serve with extra sour cream and olives and green onions if desired.
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