Baked Chipotle Bacon Penne knock off

Dear Minions!

Today I have a little culinary experiment for you! I'm totally addicted to Boston Pizza's Baked Chipotle Bacon Penne but can't afford to eat out all the time, so I decided to try making it for myself! It was surprisingly easy and tastes just as good (if not better!). So here we go!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
2tbls flour
1 cup cream (I used half and half)
2 cloves garlic
2tbls Chipotle seasoning
2 cups cheese (1 cup shredded fine, to be used in the sauce. The other cup shredded coarse to be sprinkled on top)
1 large tomato diced
1 can mushrooms or 10 mushrooms sliced and fried
6 handfuls pasta of your choice ( I used rotinis)
6 strips bacon chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

Chop tomato and set aside in a large casserole dish. Drain mushrooms (if using canned mushrooms) or slice and lightly fry mushrooms ( if using fresh) and set aside in casserole dish as well.

Fry bacon pieces until slightly undercooked, we don't want them to be too crispy! Drain bacon on a piece of paper towel then add to the tomatoes and mushrooms.

Using a large pot cook pasta until aldente. Drain pasta and add to the casserole dish.

In a small sauce pan over medium heat melt butter. Once butter is melted add flour wisking constantly. Wisk the roux constantly for about 5 minutes until smooth and slightly thinner in consistency.

Add cream and keep wisking for another 5 minutes.  If your sauce gets a little too thick ( mine did!) Add a little more cream or milk to thin it out.

Crush garlic into your sauce and keep stirring! Add chipotle seasoning and slowly add finely shredded cheese, I used marble cheese because it's my favorite! Keep wisking sauce, it will thicken a little bit until the cheese melts completely into the sauce.

Pour the sauce over everything in the casserole dish and mix it all together, making sure to coat all ingredients and distribute the tomatoes, mushrooms and bacon evenly.

Sprinkle the coarsely shredded cheese on top and bake for about 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven (or until cheese is melted!)

And voila! You can now break up with Boston Pizza! Hope you enjoy it and try experimenting with different cheeses and seasoning levels. I used a chipotle mango seasoning because it was all I could find and it added a subtle flavor that I hadn't expected but absolutely love!

Until next time darlings.......

Keep kreepin'!

Missal Deadlove :)