Creamy Chicken Corn Bacon Pasta

Sunday is always a very busy time for me. The kids will be running amok after their Sunday enrichment class, refusing their naps after lunch (don’t kids ever get tired?!), the helper out of her well deserved day off, and the husband also running amok on the baseball field training for his next game. On top of all that going on, I will still make Sunday dinner almost every weekend. So I’ve resorted to efficient cooking all in one pot. So when I searched through the fridge, I saw chicken thighs and my carton of milk. So I got inspired by Jamie Oliver’s Chicken in Milk, and improvised to make this one pot dinner.

One pot meals like this means that I will only have minimal dishes to wash. However, after having made quite a few one pot pasta, I realised that they all kind of ends up in the same texture. That is probably because everything was cooked at the same time, in the same pot, for the same amount of time. So staggering the time to add the ingredients will make a difference. And of course playing with the natural texture of the ingredients itself. 

Searing the chicken gives the chicken a different texture, colour, and appearance as compared to just cutting it up and putting it all into the pasta at the start. Crumbling the bacon bits just before serving ensures that it gives the meal a smoky, savoury, crispy crunch. Then when you bite into the corn kernels, the sweetness just burst into action balancing out the saltiness of the bacon, chicken, and pasta. 

I really liked the fact that no heavy cream was used to make this meal. The low-fat milk reduced to a cream like sauce that coats each individual pasta beautifully. And the pasta took in all the goodness of the chicken, and seasoning. The husband came back from his baseball practice just when dinner was served. He took his first bite and said, “Wow, is there some more where this came from?”. Even before he finished his plate, he was already planning for second serving. The girls were a little dubious with the new dinner served, as usual. But very quickly and readily exclaimed that they liked it and wants me to make it again. Another one pot winner in our book! 

In celebration of Le Creuset‘s 90th anniversary, I am hosting a 5 pcs Le Creuset Skillet Bundle giveaway worth $572! Stand a chance to win the bundle that includes:

• 1 Skillet 26cm in Dijon Yellow
• 1 Spatula medium in Caribbean Blue 
• 1 Silicone handle sleeve in Caribbean Blue
• 1 Bowl in Dijon Yellow
• 1 Bowl in Caribbean Blue

To take part in this giveaway, simply complete the rafflecopter at the end of the post. This giveaway is made possible by the good people at Le Creuset. 

Creamy Chicken Corn Bacon Pasta

Delishar

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Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 4-6 Chicken Thighs
• 4 slices bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 1 head of garlic separated & unpeeled
• 120 g uncooked spiral pasta
• 1 3/4 to 2 cups milk
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 cup frozen corn
• Zest of a lemon
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Lemon wedges to serve
• Baby arugula to serve

Instructions

 

• Rinse and pat dry chicken.
• Season generously with salt and pepper.
• In your French oven, sear chicken with 2-3 tbsp of olive oil.
• About 4 minutes on the skin side then 4 minutes on the other.
• Then set aside, and use a paper towel to absorb grease.
• Add bacon, cook until fat renders and crisp.
• Remove and set aside for use later.
• Add onion, and garlic.
• Saute until onion is soft.
• Add pasta, rosemary, milk, bouillon cube, corn, and lemon zest.
• Season with salt and pepper, then stir.
• Place chicken on top of pasta, skin side up.
• Bring to boil, cover, and allow to cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat or until chicken and pasta are done.
• Crumble bacon on top of pasta, and serve immediately with baby arugula.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway ends on Tuesday, September 22, 2015 at 12:00 a.m. Singapore time (GMT+8).  Giveaway bundle includes: Skillet 26cm in Dijon yellow x 1, Spatula medium in Caribbean x 1, Silicone handle sleeve in Caribbean x 1, Bowl in Dijon x 1, Bowl in Caribbean x 1. The winner will be selected by random.org and will contacted by email. The winner will need to respond within 48 hours. If there is no response from the winner after 48 hours, another winner will be selected. The winner will need to self-collect the prize at Le Creuset’s office;  therefore, it is open to Singapore entrants only.