Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

**Unless otherwise stated, I take NO credit for the creation of these recipes! I can cook, but I'm not usually inclined to experiment on my own!**

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

3 tbsp butter
kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 pound penne rigate
1/2 tsp olive oil
1-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp flour
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups milk
5-8 oz. white or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
3/4 cup shredded provolone/Italian cheese mixture
3/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400. Spray/butter shallow 2-quart baking dish. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta and set aside. While pasta is boiling, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3-5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise; then thinly slice crosswise. While chicken pan is still hot, toss the mushrooms in and saute until golden brown (3-4 minutes). Use a little extra olive oil if needed. In a 5-quart DUtch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking 1 minute. While whisking constantly, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer. Keep whisking frequently as sauce thickens about 1 minute more. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat and gradually stir in provolone and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper to taste and pour into baking dish. Sprinkle top with the rest of the parmesan cheese and bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling; about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

THE VERDICT: we made this without the tomatoes since Jake isn't a huge fan of them, and it turned out AWESOME! We are definitely going to be making this again.