A Pinteresting Day for Tortellini & Garden Vegetable Bake

 Last Tuesday I made a very yummy dish for dinner I found on Pinterest via BHG. It was slightly more time consuming than I originally thought, but it was well worth it. Most of the time I prefer to make meals that leave little to possibly go wrong, but mid way through preparing it I started catching myself saying to Johnny, "Um I'm not sure if this is going to taste okay" & "Um...do we still have turkey meat for sandwiches?" Ha! To my surprise, the flavors & ingredients all went perfectly together! It was so good that I am going to make it again next week. 

Of course, my adventures in the kitchen would not be complete without Noah entertaining & distracting me throughout! Perhaps, this is why it always seems to take me a tad bit longer to cook a meal than the suggested 30 minute prep work.

Click here for the link to BHG recipe. Or, you can use my tweaked version below that left out & switched up a few things to make it a tadlighter. Either way, they are both packed full of veggies, creamy sauce, and wonderful flavors.

Lighter Tortellini and Garden Vegetable Bake

1 9 ounce package of of refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini 

2 carrots, very thinly sliced

1 tablespoon of butter (I use Bob Greens Spread Butter)

3 medium sized pieces of chicken breast, cut into bit-size pieces

1/3 cup of 30% less sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 teaspoons of dried oregano (or 2 tablespoons of fresh)

2 teaspoons all purpose flour 

3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup skim milk

1 8 ounce package of 1/3% less fat cream cheese (or lightest you can find)

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

1 cup cherub tomatoes cut in half

1 large red onion, chopped in bite sized pieces

2 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese

• Set oven to 350 degrees
• Cook your tortellini as directed, but add carrots to the pot when 5 minutes is left on the timer. Drain after cooked. 
• While that is cooking, heat up the butter in a large skillet. Add the chicken, let it cook about 6 minutes or until it isn't pink anymore. Take it off skillet.
• In a mason jar (or any container with a tight lid) shake until smooth the broth, oregano, flour, garlic salt, and pepper. Then add it to the skillet along with the milk. Cook until it thickens up. I had to add nearly 1 more teaspoon of flour to the skillet. Perhaps you wont. 
• Once it starts bubbling up add the cream cheese & let it cook until it is smooth. Next, stir in the lemon juice. Add the pasta with carrots, sweet peppers, and tomatoes into the skillet making sure to give it all a few good stirs. 
• Put everything into a large casserole dish & bake on 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese & enjoy for 430 calories p/serving. It made about 5 servings. 

Enjoy!!

~Brit


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