This melt in your mouth casserole is a great comfort dish. The white wine and mustard lend just enough flavor to perk up the cheddar cheese sauce.
INGREDIENTS (for 8 servings):
- 2 cups rotini pasta
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups milk
- 3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cubed
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
- 3 pinches ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
- 10 buttery round crackers, crushed
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons butter, melted
PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray and set aside. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour a tablespoon at a time and stir until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a low boil, and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar cheese until melted. Stir in cream cheese and until melted. Add wine, and season with mustard, nutmeg and salt.
Pour cooked noodles in pan. Layer chicken pieces over the noodles. Pour sauce over the chicken. In a small bowl, mix the cracker crumbs, parmesan cheese and butter, and sprinkle over the sauce.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until edges of casserole are bubbling. Remove from oven, and stir to thoroughly coat pasta and chicken and to keep top of casserole from hardening. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.