Name: Make-Ahead Tuscan Chicken Bake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 4 ounces gluten-free uncooked rotini pasta; 2 tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose flour; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ½ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt (divided); ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (divided); ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 cup chicken broth or bone broth; 1 cup milk (or water, if dairy-free); ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes (oil drained and chopped); 4 cups mushrooms (sliced); 2 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1-inch cubes); 2 cups Tuscan kale (shredded (or spinach, chopped)); 1 cup shredded cheese ((Italian blend or mozzarella work well; or dairy-free))

Instructions

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Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9x9-inch baking pan. In the pan, combine pasta, flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, red pepper flakes, broth, milk, and sun-dried tomatoes. Gently stir until no flour clumps remain. Scatter mushrooms and chicken breast over mixture and season with remaining salt and pepper. Cover with foil. Bake for 25 minutes.
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Gently stir mixture and return to oven, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes. Mixture will thicken as it cools.

To eat immediately:

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Stir in kale (or spinach) and shredded cheese, and return to oven for 5 more minutes, until cheese is bubbly.

To prepare and freeze:

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Cook as directed, then stir in the kale and cheese and allow mixture to cool completely before covering tightly with foil. Freeze up to 2-3 months.

To reheat from frozen:

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Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook, covered with foil, for 30 minutes. Add ½ cup broth or water and stir. Cover and bake 10 minutes longer or until warm throughout. Uncover, stir again, and cook for 5 more minutes (you can top with additional cheese at this point).