BBQ Chicken Penne Skillet

(I had to leave off the scallions, because this was for Jeff and he doesn't like them)

There are only 4 days left of the 2011-2012 school year and I'm incredibly excited!  Mostly because this means that I'll finally have some free time to bake and cook.  It's been kind of depressing for me this school year because with the new hours, 9:15-4:15, I haven't able to make the types of dinners that I use too.  Not only that, but I've been living in a rental house, with a very small kitchen.  Due to this, I haven't had as much space as I use too, and a lot of my bake ware and cookbooks are still packed in boxes somewhere.  However, the new house is almost done being built, and the kitchen already looks AMAZING!!!  I'm really looking forward to all the counter and cabinet space that I'll have and am excited about moving during the summertime, when I'll be able to use the kitchen to it's fullest.

Back to today's post though........

I've never been a fan of BBQ chicken, but my husband Jeff absolutely loves it!  I feel bad sometimes because I'm always making him try food that I want to eat, so I only thought it'd be fair to make something special just for him.  To be honest, I had absolutely no intention of eating any of this meal.  I wanted to sample a bite though, just to make sure it was cooked through, and to my surprise I loved it!  I couldn't help but have more, which turned out to be unfortunate for Jeff, because that meant fewer leftovers.  I felt bad.....but not really, because it made quite a few servings and there were still more than enough leftovers.

Spicy BBQ Chicken Penne Skillet
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Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts cut into 1 inch or smaller pieces
1 cup BBQ sauce (Use your favorite)
1 package (16 oz) penne pasta
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14 ½ oz.) Rotel - green chilies with diced tomatoes, undrained (I use the HOT)
½ cup beef broth
1 ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. salt
Pepper to taste
1 to 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
Garnish with scallions

Directions:

Place the chicken pieces in a medium bowl and coat with the BBQ sauce.  Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook the chicken pieces until done.  Place the pieces in a bowl, cover with foil, and set aside. 

Cook the pasta according to package directions.

Rinse out the skillet and then place it back on the stove over a medium-high heat.  Add in the butter, olive oil, and onion.  Sauté the onion until it becomes tender.  Add in the garlic and sauté until it becomes fragrant, this should take about 1 minute.  Stir in the chicken pieces, Rotel, beef broth, red pepper flakes, cumin, salt, and pepper.  Continue to cook until warmed through.

Add the pasta and cheese to the chicken mixture and stir around until everything is well coated.  Garnish with scallions and serve immediately.

Source: Adapted from Real Mom Kitchen