Chicken Alfredo Florentine Bake

You look in your pantry and what do you see? The next question is, what do you make? Welcome to my kitchen. Often times I figure out dinner plans on the fly and there's a 50/50 chance it works out well. Thankfully my track record isn't too bad but still, I have my moments lol. The other night I happened to score, not just with the Baron but with Joel as well. This Chicken Alfredo Florentine Bake turned out well and it combined the comforting dish of chicken alfredo with a fresh 'Florentine' spin of baby spinach and tomato. Creamy alfredo sauce is tossed with chicken, fresh baby spinach and pasta, topped with more Parmesan cheese and baked before serving with a garnish of diced fresh tomatoes. Yum. No, double yum!...

This can be made gluten free friendly with the use of gluten free pasta (I used GF penne) and a gluten free flour blend. Otherwise, feel free to use your favorite pasta and all purpose flour if gluten isn't an issue. I liked how the spinach added some color and vegetables wherever you can squeeze them in is always a good thing. The fresh tomatoes used as a garnish when serving is a nice touch of color too but I like that it was fresh versus cooked through with the rest of the dish. This is great to make in advance a day ahead and then popped into the oven, especially on weeknights after a long day!

Chicken Alfredo Florentine Bake
recipe adapted from Recipes for You

Ingredients

• 16 oz box pasta of GF pasta
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons all purpose or GF flour
• 2 cups half & half
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 cups cooked chicken, cubed (about 2 breasts)
• 2 handfuls fresh baby spinach
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced for garnish

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare the pasta according to package directions.
3. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
4. Add flour and whisk for 1 minute. Continuing to whisk, slowly add the half & half.
5. Add the seasonings and cheese. Mixing well, reduce heat to medium low and cook for 10 minutes.
6. Add chicken and spinach and stir well.
7. Drain the pasta and add it to the cheese mixture.
8. Transfer mixture into an 8x8 casserole dish, top with extra Parmesan cheese and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
9. When done, garnish with fresh chopped tomatoes and serve.