Meatless Monday! Three Cheese [F]icken Penne

It's Meatless Monday time again! This is a special recipe. My cousin made this while we were away for a family memorial in North Carolina. It's Three Cheese Chicken Florentine adapted from Cooking Light Magazine. When she made it, she used Morningstar Chicken Strips and I thought it was delicious. I've made it several times since and find I really don't like the fake chicken product, but this recipe is delicious even omitting the meat all together.

I love food because one dish can bring me back to an event or an occasion or a loved one.....over and over again! So, this dish will always remind me of that fabulous reunion weekend spent celebrating Aunt Linda.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Cooking spray
• 3 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 3 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (16-ounce) carton 2% low-fat cottage cheese
• 4 cups hot cooked penne (about 8 ounces uncooked tube-shaped pasta)
• 2 cups shredded roasted skinless, boneless chicken breast (keep it meatless by using a fake chicken product or keep it out entirely)
  
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup, undiluted

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add spinach, oregano, and black pepper; sauté 3 minutes or just until spinach wilts.

Place cottage cheese in a food processor; process until very smooth. Combine spinach mixture, cottage cheese, pasta, chicken, 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, milk, and soup in a large bowl. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

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If you'd like to read more about the Meatless Monday movement, visit Meatless Monday.com