Chicken and Sweetcorn Pasta Bake

It's a bit pot o' love (and carbs)

This is a firm part of my childhood. My dearest mother doesn’t cook much, despite making delicious meals at the drop of a hat when she decides to. She has always rocked a pasta bake, but has recently kicked it up a notch, so I have shamelessly stolen this recipe from her experimentations.

This is a good way to use up roast chicken leftovers, if you have any left after smothering them in salt and picking at them the evening after a big Sunday roast.

.. Because everyone has to resist that urge, right? Yes? Good.

It is a recipe with a few components, but it all comes together beautifully in one delicious casserole dish that you can stick in the oven and serve when the cheese is bubbling and golden.

                                   

serves 4 fairly easily

Béchamel Ingredients:

• 60g butter
• 30g flour
• 750ml semi skimmed milk
• pinch of ground nutmeg (optional) OR sprinkling of chicken stock cube

Everything else

• 500g pasta, cooked al dente according to the instructions (I like wholeweat fusilli)
• 2 handfuls of canned sweetcorn
• 1 leek, chopped
• Roast chicken leftovers, about 1 breast, and a leg’s worth.
• Enough grated cheese to cover the top

 Method

To make the béchamel, firstly, DON’T BE SCARED. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour, mixing so that it is all incorporated and has become thickened. It should look like a thick paste. Remove from the heat and quickly whisk in the milk. Return to the heat and bring to the boil. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, adding in the nutmeg or a sprinkling of a chicken stock cube. The base recipe and photos can be found in my lasagne recipe.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta.

Add the sauce into the cooked pasta, and stir in the chicken and vegetables. Season.

Roast chicken for the win

Pour into a suitably sized casserole dish, and cover with the grated cheese. Bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is golden.

Serve with a salad if you’re feeling good, or garlic bread if not. Or both because they totally cancel one another out. This also makes fantastic leftovers.