Monday night dinner....

In testament to my laziness this summer I'm posting last night's dinner tonight, and perhaps I'll continue the trend and post tonight's dinner tomorrow....does that make sense?  Probably only to me ;)

Joe smoked a whole chicken on Sunday, and with the left overs I made a penne casserole. 

Ingredients
1/4 lb bacon (I buy the end pieces because the pieces are thicker)
Penne pasta
Cooked chicken (1 1/2 cups)
1 cup cheese (your choice)
chopped garlic (to taste)
1/4 sour cream
1/4 mayonnaise

Okay, for my ingredients I'm not listing the basics I think most kitchens have, like butter, flour, and chicken broth (although most kitchens should have fresh garlic).

Make a basic roux with butter, flour, and chicken broth.  Milk can be used but it adds extra calories, and some are sensitive to dairy (like me).  I had approx. 3 Tbsp heavy cream in the fridge and added that to the roux as well.  Let the roux cook on low heat for 10 min to get the "flour" taste out.

Cook the penne according to directions and drain well.  Add the cooked bacon, chicken, cheese, mayo, and sour cream.  Add black pepper and garlic to taste (which in our house means A LOT).  Don't add salt, the bacon will do that for you.  Add the roux, mix well, and cook at 375 for 25 minutes. 

The penne will absorb liquid overnight, so if the casserole is creamier any left overs will be that much better the next day.