Baked Ziti with Chicken and Smoked Mozzarella

In an exciting turn of events (I couldn't find the recipe for Vanilla Pound Cake) I present to you a fabulous and hearty recipe for Baked Ziti with Chicken, Broccoli, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Smoked Mozzarella Cheese. This is a perfect dinner for a party or just a quiet night at home. Also, it incorporates many food groups (Meats and Oils, Vegetables, Grains and Dairy).

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine in a food processor until coarsely ground (bread crumb texture):
- 4 slices of white bread
- 2 tablespoons of melted butter

Set the bread crumbs you just made aside. Begin preparing the filling by bringing 4 quarts of water to a boil. Then stir in
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 1 bunch of chopped broccoli

Boil the broccoli until it is bright green (around 1 minute) and remove it from the pot with a slotted spoon. Place it on a baking sheet to cool.

Return the water in the pot to a boil and add
- 12 oz. of ziti pasta

Cook the ziti until it is al dente then toss it with
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil


Set the ziti aside. In another pot, add
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 minced medium onion

Cook the onion until it is brown (about 8 minutes)

Then stir in
- 8 minced garlic cloves (or 8 teaspoons of pre-minced garlic)
- 1 tablespoon of dried thyme

Cook for about 30 more seconds, then add
- 1/4 of a cup of flour

Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture is golden (or about 1 minute)

Slowly (and carefully) add
- 1 cup of white wine

Keep cooking until the liquid has evaporated, then add
- 2 cups of chicken broth
- 1 cup of heavy cream

Bring to a simmer, whisking often, then add
- 1 1/2 pounds of chopped chicken breasts or thighs (tofu can be a vegetarian replacement)

Cook, stirring occasionally until done (about 4 minutes). Next, remove the pot from heat andstir in
- 3 ounces of shredded smoked mozzarella (around 1 cup)
- 1 cup (an 8 ounce jar) of drained, oil packed sun dried tomatoes (sliced)

The add the al dente ziti and the cooked broccoli to the pot and mix well. Then transfer everything into a 9x13 baking dish. Top the ziti and sauce with the bread crumbs you made earlier. Bake the ziti in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. The Baked Ziti should be bubbling and the bread crumbs should be slightly browned. You can serve this dish immediately. Enjoy!



- Flavor, Fun and maybe a little mess!