Buffalo Chicken Pasta

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  Chicken Breast, Boneless Skinless(303g)

  Boneless skinless. Buy in bulk and freeze — Costco rotisserie packs work too.

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  Garlic powder(3g)
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  Onion powder(3g)
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  Cayenne Pepper, Ground(3g)
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  ¼ tsp salt ($0.02)
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  Vegetable oil(15g)
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  Butter(30g)
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  Pasta, Penne, White, Dry(227g)
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  Canned Diced Tomatoes(425g)
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  Low Sodium Chicken Broth(360g)
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  Cream Cheese(113g)

  Standard block cream cheese. Neufchatel (1/3 less fat) is a good swap.

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  Hot Sauce, Frank'S RedHot(60g)
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  Worcestershire Sauce(3g)

  Lea & Perrins is the standard. A little goes a long way.

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  Cheese, Monterey Jack, 2%(120g)
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  Green Onion (Scallion)

Instructions

1. 1Cut the chicken into ½-¾ inch pieces. Combine the garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and salt, then sprinkle it over the chicken pieces. Toss the chicken in the spices until everything is well coated.
2. 2Heat the cooking oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Once hot, add the chicken and allow the chicken to brown on all sides. The chicken does not need to be cooked through at this point.
3. 3Add the uncooked pasta, canned diced tomatoes (with the liquid), and the chicken broth to the skillet with the chicken. Stir to dissolve all of the browned bits off the bottom of the skillet.
4. 4Place a lid on the pot and allow the broth to come up to a strong simmer. The broth will not fully cover the pasta, but that is okay. Once the broth is simmering, briefly stir the pasta, replace the lid, then turn the heat down to medium-low.
5. 5Allow the pasta to simmer in the broth for 10-12 minutes or until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, stirring once or twice throughout, and always replacing the lid after stirring.
6. 6Once the pasta is tender and only a small amount of thickened liquid remains in the skillet, cut the cream cheese into chunks and add it to the past along with the butter, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir and cook over medium-low heat until the cream cheese has fully melted into the pasta.
7. 7Add the shredded Monterey jack cheese and stir until melted into the sauce. Top with sliced green onions, then serve hot.