Creamy Chicken with Bacon & Penne

4 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
2 cups penne pasta, uncooked
1/2 cup (1/2 of 8-oz. tub) PHILADELPHIA Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread
3/4 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 green onions, chopped

WRAP 1 bacon slice around each chicken breast. Heat large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cover. Cook 5 to 7 min. on each side or until chicken is done (165ºF). Remove chicken from skillet; cover to keep warm. Discard drippings in skillet.

COOK pasta in large saucepan as directed on package. Meanwhile, cook cream cheese spread and broth in skillet until cream cheese is melted and sauce is thickened and well blended, stirring constantly with whisk. Stir in tomatoes and onions; cook 2 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

DRAIN pasta; return to pan. Add sauce; mix lightly. Serve topped with chicken.

*D: I used this recipe as a general guideline for a skillet dinner. Here's how I did it:


I cubed the chicken in bite sized pieces (I had 2 breasts instead of 4) and fried it in olive oil until no longer pink. Meanwhile, I had the pasta cooking. I cooked about 3 - 4 rather than 2.


After the chicken was done, I melted half a brick of cream cheese (I guess that's about 4 oz) and 1 cup of broth (it was easier for me to make 1 cup with the bouillon granules rather than 3/4 of a cup) in a pan and added dehydrated chives. To be completely honest, I didn't even taste the chives. So I need to add more in the future. So if you only have plain cream cheese, go for it! I waited until the chicken was done because I didn't want the sauce to cool while waiting for chicken to cook.


After the chicken was done, pasta cooked and sauce melted, I mixed it all together in the skillet I cooked the chicken in and stirred in a few handfuls of crumbled bacon.


It was delicious! And easier than wrapping chicken in bacon.


Possible sides: green salad, asparagus, green beans, steamed carrots, bread. Pin It