I have been trying to lose some weight and eat better, so I have been cutting a lot of carbs and dairy. (down 7lbs in 2.5 weeks but the evil sickness helped a bit with that also) I will never eliminate either from my diet completely because that is insanity and I plan on eating as much cheese as humanly possible in the Netherlands, because you just have to! So as a treat I made myself this next recipe from Southern Living and ate a small serving and froze the rest in individual servings for when I get that carb craving.
8 ounces uncooked rigatoni pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 medium)
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3 cups cubed cooked chicken breasts
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (8 ounce) container chive & onion cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
1 Prepare rigatoni acoording to package directions.
2 Meanwhile, spread oil on bottom of an 11x7" baking dish; add onion in a single layer. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or just until tender. Transfer onion to a large bowl and set aside.
3 Drain thawed spinach well, pressing between layers of paper towels.
4 Stir rigatoni, spinach, chicken and next 4 ingredients into onion in bowl. Spoon mixture into baking dish, and sprinkle evenly with shredded mozzarela cheese.
5 Bake, covered, at 375 degrees for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 15 more minutes or until brown and bubbly.
I cut this recipe in half, definitely not husband approved with spinach and chicken involved.
![ingredients](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vUfb1Chqwe2w07euCeqwChE-PZKsqecdRZzrUG0Phyrpgn5OIwfLL61cJh1xr_uPt0-rECwrJwCV70gXilfap9NldB2p2RRgGduj3T-EI2xWTYdgNA5-rEzByiKl1XvA=s0-d)
Preheat your oven, get some water boiling, and lets get this carb and dairy party started! You need some pasta, onion, spinach, tomatoes, chicken, cream cheese, and mozzarella cheese.
![chopped](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_s3YIlOuDlyKtnY9XPcq_OiM2mx4LdUTyp98WHIGlf4B9WY3p7P2_Dm4cwtl7SpRnZ5vkj8pfngjRsAm399v0NWGYeABmnMnauXafSP4ZU07TQLLrVOy_rKCtSsOt3Plw=s0-d)
Chop your onion.
![saute onions](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_t_rSDvOxYZAeHGcwKf-M-ex561ctTcBN1iFd41oQwDMVPjGyD8X_Y1NyyAj2PXsAXEFd_fF3N0g-tKtEYbkbk8qehCrnFcUfunmlLPGu5ztno4WKEKBOoIfPI4XeXs=s0-d)
Drop your pasta in the boiling water at this point. The recipe says to do this step in the oven but I did it on the stove top. Saute the onions until they are softened.
![pasta in](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_s-m6RzgssAYhPAhhf7EfJMwiD-ekp5N6vNygMCKJEnbVCxg3wCZCeVAUlBvAvwckEeQFne2XbTVa8CELLLMbvNGlcDzCXtOHsNIgm12_oEQGDVmoBHvI-kVy2hIm5oBg=s0-d)
Drain your pasta and get everything in the bowl except the mozzarella.
![mixed up](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_u59gJsSsiDlRwAkGmixs52YJv2lLCOVwrOg7x1QxSNSxdXyBTh4Q-_2hp_fK6BOX5qIrQHp8cuEX0TNH3A7Qwimdj5Urylt3vo2qrrlx3y97d8JGPSJA6YhQNarcAbcw=s0-d)
Stir it up and try not to just eat it out of the bowl. Looks delicious already!
![cheese on](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tFIaGXZjQaYQr7Kbh6vlYNiZn9yRx7hxbXsRjJ791Psz5HTI3heximwF21YO65N7SksQHTa8SMhB4-nrkP1Ni-aSadUNb2rqDomNf3CqEx7yJA1cizapHL2Aa3FrxzZw=s0-d)
But everything gets better with more cheese! Add your mozzarella, cover it, and pop it in the oven.
![Spinach and Chicken Pasta Bake](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vaaG8ZjbAKJ4BaKZwxumGQuCHW6v1cEGNVQ3uzYk7dbMWFV7FDrFaFzFzy4cZF2RQcmItMWfRZbKXqsx2C-jjQGCsVeQfRvqL--dvTZqlpRs4O47CNcYHYuBLijE_qcA=s0-d)
After 30 minutes remove the cover and in about 10-15 minutes you have this glorious carb and cheese casserole. But hey, there is some spinach in there so that makes it healthy, right?
![Spinach and Chicken Pasta Bake](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vVp3wE8fjvk0_0niGv3G4MllLSKdK5-HV8FdEwYYAikXqitHOz80j7enmtOo0XIfoYZ65YXuRPdpi0tWj6gm7IbTTyN5UiAGkncYvuWE62oJP-NWC5bNGIjW4B5W7ILQ=s0-d)
This is perfect for a chilly fall afternoon.
This week I made a new friend and was telling him about the fact that I had a food blog, which I think some people probably find weird. The reason I started it was to kick myself in gear to start cooking instead of just reading recipes all the time. But the reason I kept doing it is the awesome people I have come across while blogging. You never know how or when you might meet someone who will change your life!