Today's game of "what can I use up from my seasoning mix stash?" came up with this 2-in-1 sachet from Schwartz for Mediterranean Chicken Pasta with Cheesy Crumb Topping. The two halves of the sachet contain two different mixes - one to mix with water and tomatoes and add to the chicken and another to sprinkle over the top of the pasta bake.
Unlike most pasta bakes I've made in the past, you need to cook the pasta first so the first job was frying the chicken and boiling up a pot of water to cook some macaroni.
The pack suggests adding yellow peppers. I opted for red peppers and mushrooms but you could add any veg you like really - courgettes and onions would work really well.
The top half of the sachet - which is a mix of Wheat Flour, Flavourings, Onion Powder, Salt, Sugar, Garlic Powder, Tomato Powder, Oregano, Basil, Cayenne Pepper and Ground Celery Seed - needs to be mixed with water and a tin of chopped tomatoes.
This is mixed with the cooked chicken and vegetables, then the drained pasta, and poured into an ovenproof dish.
Time to sprinkle over the second sachet for the crispy crumb topping - it's a mixture of Breadcrumbs (from Wheat), Maltodextrin, Dextrose, Dried Egg White, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Flavouring, Parsley, Sugar, Tomato Powder, Rapeseed Oil, Black Pepper, Paprika, Salt, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid) and Turmeric.
You sprinkle grated cheese over the top.
And pop it under the grill for ten minutes for the cheese to melt.
This was perfect for a quick and simple Saturday lunch that the whole family enjoyed, but I also think it would be a great way of using up the leftovers from a Sunday roast, whether that be chicken, turkey, pork or even beef or gammon. It's got a herby more than a spicy flavour which appealed to the kids, although I added a quick sprinkle of chilli flakes over the top to give it a little kick.
The packaging tells you to use 200g pasta and 450g chicken plus one 400g tin of tomatoes and a whole yellow pepper, and this should make 4 servings, each providing 470 calories. I didn't weigh out the pasta but I managed to get 5 servings with one (or two kid-sized) portions leftover for another day. This is a great one to freeze and reuse as a homemade ready-meal for a busy evening after work.
star rating : 4/5
RRP : £1.29
for more information : http://www.schwartz.co.uk/products/recipe-mixes/2-in-1/mediterranean-chicken-pasta-plus-cheesy-crumb-topping.aspx
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Looks lovely and really easy to make too!
ReplyDeleteLooks delicious!
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