Chicken & Mushroom Alfredo Bake

I'll be the first to admit that I kind of have a thing for chicken and mushrooms together so there will probably be plenty of future posts that include these two ingredients. Just a forewarning! I've made this a couple of times in the past and used spaghetti squash as a pasta substitute and that worked out awesome in case you're strictly counting carbs or want to sneak veggies in somewhere. There's a lengthy process involved here as the alfredo sauce is actually a healthy, lightened up version made out of cashews. Yeah, I know, I was skeptical the first time I tried it too. Here goes...

1 cup cashews, soaked in water for at least 6 hours

8 chicken tenders, diced

2 cups baby bella mushrooms, chopped

2 cups pasta of your choice

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1 cup mozzarella

2 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder

1.5 - 2 cups of water

3 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350. Pan fry your chicken in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add 1 tbsp minced garlic, garlic powder and onion powder. Fry until it is cooked through and has a nice golden brown color. 

Take your soaked cashews, drain the water off of them and pour into a food processor or blender. Process them until they form a paste. Add 1/2 cup of water and process some more. Add 1 cup of water and continue processing until it forms a milky liquid. Meanwhile have 1 tbsp garlic sauteing in 2 tbsp of olive oil and pasta boiling until tender. Pour in the cashew liquid and stir until it thickens. Add parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste and continue stirring. Once the cheese is melted, add your chicken and mushrooms to the sauce. You can add up to 1/2 cup water if the sauce is too thick for your taste.

In a greased glass baking dish layer your pasta and pour the chicken/mushroom/sauce mixture over the top. Coat it with the mozzarella cheese, cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. 

When you take it out the cheese will be melted and you will be ready to devour this delicious alfredo bake. Serve with salad and/or garlic bread and enjoy!