Creamy Skinny Pasta Casserole

During January, I have been trying to use up what we have in the freezer and refrigerator. Not only has this saved a lot of money, but it has challenged me to look for new recipes to use this food. 

Today, I was looking for something that would use frozen ground chicken. I found Creamy Skinny Pasta Casserole by Taste of Home. As a bonus, there were five other items in the recipe that I had on hand that I could use. 

The recipe took about 30 minutes to prep and bake, and Taste of Home says there's about six servings. I would say there's more like 8-9 servings.

Ingredients 

12 ounces uncooked whole wheat penne pasta (I used regular pasta)

1 pound lean ground chicken 

1 small onion, finely chopped 

1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided 

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (I used a combination of oregano, marjoram, and rosemary, and about 2 teaspoons)

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon pepper 

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained (I used 2 cans)

3 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese 

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream 

1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided 

Optional: Minced fresh parsley and crushed red pepper flakes (I did the red pepper flakes, but not parsley)

Directions 

Preheat oven to 400°. Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain, reserving 1/3 cup pasta water; return all to the pot. 

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook and crumble chicken with onion, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and remaining seasonings over medium-high heat until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; bring to a boil. 

Add to pasta; toss to combine. Transfer to a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. 

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and remaining garlic powder. Drop mixture by tablespoonfuls over pasta. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. 

Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted, 8-10 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with parsley and pepper flakes.