Psalm 34:18 The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

My church has partnered with Mercy Chefs and another local church to help feed the tornado victims. At first it was thousands of meals- teams were sent out to deliver HOT food to people without power for lunch and dinner for almost two weeks. Teams of volunteers from The Crossing Chattanooga worked tirelessly to prepare chicken, cobblers, cookies, and anything else the Mercy Chefs needed to complete the meals. Every day teams delivered these meals. My dear friend Cindy gave so selflessly day after day to make sure people were fed. I only helped for a week and just seeing so many people come together to make this happen was such a blessing. Mercy Chefs pulled out of Chattanooga on Sunday since the power has been restored. The Crossing Church decided to continue to feed the displaced families that are staying in area hotels until their homes can be repaired or replaced since so many had to be demolished from extensive damage.

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I have to say my husband is amazing! He has continued to work- putting in over 50 hours this week alone AND came to help deliver food AND helped bake 4,000 cookies one night. Ya’ll! I have probably been driving him crazy because I keep asking him to help this person or help with that person. Plus we almost ran out of food at home because I was gone so much this week helping feed other people! He’s always happy to help and for that I am thankful!

Now to the recipe! I was asked to prepare one of the meals my church is sending out this week. Preparing a meal for one hundred people doesn’t have to be hard! So, Easy Tuscan Chicken Pasta to the rescue! Add garlic toast, garden salad and Ambrosia Delight (https://sanctuary-ridge.com/2020/03/21/sanctuary-ridge-family-recipes-ambrosia-delight/(opens in a new tab) for dessert and you have a well rounded meal! I will share directions for stove top preparation and Instant Pot preparation (my personal favorite) so you can prepare it either way.

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Easy Tuscan Chicken Pasta

• 1 (32 oz) box Chicken Broth
• 1 (12 oz) box Farfalle Pasta
• 1 (6.7 oz) jar Rosso Pesto Sauce
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 package Cream Cheese (Cut into 1 inch cubes)
• 2-3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
• 1 tsp. Fresh or Dried Basil
• 1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
• 8 oz. Shredded Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Cups Cooked Chicken Breast (Shredded or Cut into Bite Size Pieces)

Stove Top Directions:

Pour the Chicken Broth into a large pot. Add the basil, garlic and black pepper. Bring this to a boil on Med-High heat. Add the Farfalle pasta to the boiling broth mixture. Lower the heat to Medium, stirring the pasta occasionally and boil for 12 minutes. Lower heat to low and add the remaining ingredients, stirring until all the cream cheese is melted. Salt to taste. Serve immediately. This recipe will serve 6-8 people.

Instant Pot Directions:

Pour the Farfalle Pasta from the box into the Instant Pot. Add Pesto Sauce, basil, garlic and black pepper. Stir in chicken and try to submerge it all down into broth.  Secure the lid in place- set the pressure valve to “sealing” position. Select the “manual” setting/ high pressure and set to 5 minutes cook time. After the cook time is complete, select “cancel” then use the quick release pressure- which means carefully turn the valve to “venting” position (I use a long handled serving spoon to to this) and step back as steam will release. Follow manufacturing directions for your unit to quick release and be careful! When it stops sputtering open the lid and immediately stir the noodles to separate them. Stir in the Spinach, cream cheese and parmesan. Toss well. Let rest for 5-10 minutes to thicken. Serves 6-8 people.

*This is a great addition to the Meal Prep as you can use pre-cooked/frozen chicken to prepare this meal! https://sanctuary-ridge.com/2020/04/03/sanctuary-ridge-family-recipes-how-to-meal-plan-like-a-pro/(opens in a new tab)

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