Chicken and Bow Tie Pasta

I have to say that after reading the reviews of this dish, I was really disappointed! It was pretty bland by my stands and I really thought it lacked any good flavor. My husband agreed. Some mistakes I think I made after reading the other reviews: I followed the recipe to the "T". I boiled the chicken - I think I should have cooked it in olive oil and sauteed it a bit more. I boiled the veggies in the chicken broth - BIG MISTAKE - they were mushy and lacked all flavor. I think that those should also be more sauteed in some olive oil or very lightly steamed. Cut the chicken broth out, it adds sodium and really doesn't help with the flavor. The cream cheese mixture was not nearly as thick as I had hoped - I was thinking alfredo sauce and ended up with something more runny than that. You could almost make this with some half and half and onions on your own. Overall, I thought the dish was way too high in fat to be the "treat" I had hoped it would be. Definetly spice it up. Good luck!

YUM! However, thanks to the advice of previous reviewers, I altered the original a bit by doing the following: Seasoned chicken breasts in cajun seasoning then sauteed in olive oil and 1 Tbs. minced garlic and 1/2 onion chopped. Then cubed the meat rather than pulling. For the sauce I added the other half of the chopped onion to the broth and broccoli. I also only used one container of the cream cheese as it seemed rich enough at taste after the first, then added 1 cup heavy cream and 2 Tbs. flour as thickener in place. Added cajun seasoning (tsp?) and the tasty browned onion-garlic goodness from the chicken pan to finish off the sauce. Served over penne. Super easy, extremely delicious, and seemingly flexible for variation. A keeper for sure! THANKS for posting!

I made this for my family (husband & 2 boys 7 & 3)last night. They loved it. I had to change a few things due to what I had available in my pantry. First, I used Penne pasta which was great. I find that sauce sticks to penne just as good as bowtie and my kids love the little "tubes". Also, I used 2 cups of frozen broccoli instead of the fresh, this turned out fine as well. I personally loved the red bell pepper but no one else here does, so I used just enough for me. I also threw in some fresh sliced mushrooms. I would like to note that next time I will try the "light" version of the cream cheese, just to take off some of the fat and calories. I'll let ya know if this is just as good. This recipe is a keeper! Thanks

I took this dish to a family reunion where it was well received. I couldn't keep from sneaking a bowtie or two (or three) while I was making it! Delicious. The cream sauce was simple to make as well as yummy. I love cream cheese and never would have thought of using it in this fashion. This is a very good basic recipe begging to be personalized by each individual. I altered the recipe and grilled the chicken instead of boiling and added more broccoli than called for. Great recipe. My mouth is watering just thinking aboout it.

Awesome meal! I swapped the cream cheese for sour cream as I thought my family would like it better. I also changed the prep method a little, I cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and sauteed it with the garlic, then added in the veggies and stir-fried them for a few minutes before adding the broth. My sauce didn't thicken very well, but that was the only problem. The flavor was heavenly, this will be made again!

This is one of my new favorite recipes. I do a lot of freezer cooking and this one works great. I cook up the sauce and freeze it and then when I'm ready to serve it, I reheat and also cook the pasta. My husband and I love it!!

This was AWESOME! Even my 2 year old and 4 year old cleaned their plate! A definite family favorite that I will make over and over. I did a few things differently. To decrease the cooking time, I cut the chicken into chunks and then cooked it in a skillet sprayed with cooking spray. I seasoned it well with seasoning salt, garlic powder and onion powder. When it was done I just put it in a covered bowl and followed all the rest of the steps. I added the chicken back in the skillet once the cream cheese was smooth and let it simmer a few minutes to thicken it up a little.

Cream cheese shouldn't go on pasta. I was expecting something similar to alfredo sauce - but it is not even close. Not the recipe's fault - it just wasn't for me.

I think this is a wonderful recipe. Super yummy, quick and easy.

Thanks Stacey, we loved this one! We halved the recipe and still had leftovers. The only thing I changed, was that I didn't have the chive and onion cream cheese, so I melted down the plain cream cheese I had in the microwave, and and put in the spices manually. I didn't have dried onion, so we mixed in Good Seasons italian dressing mix(dry) with it. It was really yummy. We will definitely make again! Thanks!!

Awesome week-night dinner! I used Emeril's Essence on the chicken, broiled it & then cubed it. I also used more chicken than the recipe suggested. I added mushrooms. For the cream cheese, I used 1 light chive & onion and 1 light veggie. For the chicken broth, I used roasted garlic broth. Served w/ sliced tomatoes.

What a great (and quick) recipe! I used a rotisserie chicken and frozen broccoli. It got rave reviews even from the picky eaters in my family! Here's what I did: I cooked the penne pasta until al dente; then quickly sauteed some mushrooms on med high heat with a touch of olive oil, then threw in half an onion sliced and 1-2 cloves of garlic minced, and a box of thawed frozen chopped broccoli, and sauteed everything very quickly. I then added 1/2 a can of chicken broth and one container of the chive cream cheese, stirring until everything was well blended. Seasoned with salt and pepper and some parmesean cheese, then tossed in the shredded chicken and pasta. AWESOME. Thanks for sharing. This will be one of those QUICK go to weeknight dinners!

I loved this recipe. I used Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese and left out the broccoli. Served steamed cauliflower on the side.

Delicious and filling without the guilt!

Ony OK... If someone else made it, I'd eat it, but I wouldn't bother to make it again. In taste and texture, it reminded me of a good tuna casserole. I agree with others who've called this bland... It just needs something to make it remarkable. I'll tell you though, if I did make it again, I'd cut way back on the cream cheese. One reason it's bland is that the cream cheese taste and texture overpower and dominate the dish.

My kids scarfed this up like it was going out of style! I did make a couple changes...I pan fried the chicken breast in a little bit of olive oil and then just chunked it up. I also used frozen chopped broccoli making it a little bit quicker to simmer. Lastly, because my hubby isn't a big cream cheese fan I only used one container and there was more than enough sauce to cover. This will for sure make it onto the monthly menu!

I felt so proud to put this on the table tonight! It was the best tasting pasta dish I've had in a LONG time!!! Everyone pronounced it exquisitely delicious. Didn't change a thing! This made about 8 servings.

Delish!! I too added mushrooms and mixture of crubled bacon, parm cheese and toasted bread crumbs on top :) Will make again, in moderation of course ;)

Followed exact directions except added mushrooms, and sun dried tomatoes (in oil, drained) My family really enjoyed this recipe, and I appreciated how easy it was to put together. I thought it was a little bland, but overall, I'd make it again, and maybe add something to kick it up a notch. Overall, I liked it.Thanks for a good recipe!!

I had this recipe in my very first cookbook! I used to impress with it when I first started cooking 12 years ago. I haven't had it in a while because it's very rich and I tend to cook leaner things these days. That said, it's very creamy and tasty and great on a cold winter day. I don't know that I'd boil the chicken though. Just stir-fry the chicken quickly with the veggies, add broth and cream cheese and you have the sauce. Boil the pasta and add. Also, I don't like bow-tie pasta. That part in the middle of the bow-tie never gets cooked properly. I always use rotini for this and for a lot of my other pasta-related dishes.

If I were to make this again, I would substitute a can of cream of chicken soup for one of the pkgs of cream cheese. The cream cheese was a bit too heavy and rich even though I used light cream cheese. I also added a little bit of my homemade pesto. Good idea to be sure that the veggies do not overcook. I sauted thin slices of chicken in olive oil and garlic to add extra flavor. Overall, a tasty recipe.

This is what I call a masterpiece and it is healthy. It has things from the Food Pyramid.

Excellent...tried halving the recipe, but do not bother...it is so delicious leftover that you might as well make the recipe as written. Warms up lovely.

Nice Quick and Easy! For those who complain about the blandless, try throwing in a few onion soup packets along with some spices! Regards everyone, and thanks Cooking Mama!

Great dish...got high fives and nothing but praises from the fam...even the picky 9year old wanted seconds. I added another red pepper as well as more broccoli, I also seasoned the vegetables while they were cooking in olive oil as well as seasoning the chicken breast before boiling for 25 minutes! Overall everything was great and the fam is looking forward to left overs tomorrow!

4 out of 5 stars because i made quiet i few changes. but it turned out FANTASTIC. mother in law and husband were raving about it. i cut the chicken into strips, seasoned it with mesquite seasoning and browned it in olive oil once i turned off the heat, i put in the left over penne i was trying to get rid of from my fridge (it warmed it up nicely) . at the same time i threw in half a diced onion and frozen broccoli in another pan with little chicken broth, minced garlic and some red pepper flakes until it boil then turned down to med-lo heat until i like the texture of the broccoli. i threw in strips of roasted red peppers before i turned the heat to low, to melt some cream cheese and onion dip into the veges. it was super thick so i thinned it out a tiny bit with the chicken broth. finally tossed the contents of vegie pan into the pasta and chicken, stirred and served. note: this turned out very "Different tasting" to what we've ever had.. the combination of flavors were unusual but everybody at dinner loved it anyway.

Good and easy recipe!!

Not memorable.

This dish was easy to prepare and is easy to change up. I opted for asparagus instead of the red pepper. It was delicious!

Made this a little lighter by whipping 1c lowfat cottage cheese, 1 Tbsp garlic, and about half of the broth in the blender as a substitute for half of the cream cheese -- delicious! Also used the suggestion of adding onion and some cajun spice mix -- whole family loved it!

Made this as part of mis7up's Hidden Treasures challenge. This has been in my recipe box since 06, Jan. 2011. Great dish on a cold night. The one change I did, was to use an 8 oz. block of cream cheese and fresh chives and onions instead of pre-made containers. It worked out so well that I will make it that way again. This was nice and creamy and it held up wonderful as leftovers for lunches the next day. Thanks Cooking Mama for sharing your recipe. It is a keeper.

too thick and dry

Though I followed the instructions, this didn't turn out well for me. I ended up throwing it all out. Basically, I had melted cream cheese over pasta. I couldn't taste the chicken broth (14.5 oz. can) and the flavors of the garlic, broccoli and pepper were overpowered by the chive and onion cream cheese (two 8 oz. tubs). Next time, I will just toast a bagel and put the cream cheese on that.

My husband and I really liked this recipe. I halved the recipe, and the only thing I want to do differently is actually add a little more than half the can of broth because ours ended up too thick to my liking after adding the cream cheese. This is definitely not a spicy recipe (which is typically what we eat), but knowing that ahead of time, I thought it was delicious for what it was.

A good basic recipe. You can throw anything you have on hand in and it turns out great. Very fast and easy on a night when you can't figure out what to make.

I was expecting this to be more alfredo like than what it was so it was a little disappointing. It was pretty good for the first few bites but quickly dried up when it was removed from the stove resuling in very little of it being eaten.

Good kid-friendly dish. I sauteed the garlic and bell pepper first and added fresh mushrooms. I knew it would be somewhat bland so I also added some cayene pepper.

This is one my families fav's!!! I highly recommend always using the red bell pepper...just doesn't taste the same with a green bell. YUM YUM!!

Yummy. Decadent and delicious.

I made this dish last night. I used a wok and put the diced chicken, red pepper, Onion and garlic in there. I drained the chicken mixture, put the broth & broccoli in for about 4 min on high. I utilized Laughing Cow Cheese (onion and garlic [mixed] 12 wedges to substitute for the cream cheese and lower the calories. And tossed everything all together and let simmer for 5 min. It was awesome. The whole family loved it. Calories when using Laughing cow Cheese will be 271 - We could get 10 servings out of this recipe! So cut in half if it's too much. Thanks!

Bland. Will maybe add something like garlic pepper next time.

Followed the recipe. We didn't care for this at all.

this was really good and easy to make. It would be a great recipe to also use an already cooked chicken from the store if you are looking for something easy and fast. Not to heavy, good flavor.

Very excellent dish, I added Sun dried tomatoes to it. For the people who say the cream sauce is to soupy, just add more pasta to it. Sun dried goes very well with it. Give it a try.

Cream cheese and pasta just do not make a good combination, even with garlic and pepper. I was disappointed.

A great recipe! I only had plain cream cheese, so I added some green onion. As others have suggested, I will add more broccoli next time. I grilled the chicken, basting it with olive oil first. This recipe makes a lot, but the leftovers are also yummy! This can also be a great side dish by eliminating the chicken.

I just made this tonight for dinner. I thought it was very good and I didn't have to spend alot of time in the kitchen. Like another viewer I added mushrooms. I also crumbled up bacon on top and added extra garlic because after reading other reviews I didn't want it to be bland. I was pleasantly suprised. I will be making it again.

We used peas instead of broccoli but one thought there wasn't enough sauce - the other thought there was too much pasts (which translates too nor enough sauce). I would season the chicken more while cooking. We cubed instead of shredding. Second day even better - thanks for a good stick to your ribs meal! Makes tons!!

Anything with cream cheese in it is OK in my book! I boiled the chicken with three bullion cubes, which added some flavor. Next time, I will saute the chicken with seasoning. I added mushrooms, yellow pepper, and a banana pepper, and used 8 chicken breasts instead of four. Next time might try egg noodles. Definitely a keeper and easily modified.

This was so quick, easy and so delicious - cooked the chicken in the crock pot all day while I was at work and the rest was simple. My husband said "this is the best one you have fixed - don't throw this recipe away!"

I enjoied this recipe. I did change a coupel of things. I fixed the chicken in my hot plate with a cup of water the garlic and red pepper. Removed chicken, added the chicken broth and broc.. After a time I added the cream chees, but only half. I added the shreaded chicken. Cooked the pasta and mixed it all together in a larg serving dish. Sprinkel with parmisan. It was EASY and made a grate center peace on the dinner table. I'll make it again.

This is a great recipe that I modified a bit based on what I had on hand. Instead of the tubs of cream cheese I used 8 wedges of laughing cow light swiss and 3/4 cup plain yogurt. I also added a generous splash of white wine with the veggies and some shallots, which add a more complex flavor. Served with my version of Paula's Bread Sticks. This is going to make the regular rotation in our house!

I was very disappointed with this recipe. I did everything right, and it had no flavor at all!

I made this tonight and everyone loved it! I used only one package of cream cheese (to save some calories) and it turned out just great! I highly reccommend this recipe!!!!!! Looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

I made a few alterations myself but I think it turned out good and the kids gobbled it down. I sauteed the chicken in oil in a big skillet and seasoned the chicken with Tastefully Simple Italian Seasoning. I then added the broccoli and garlic. I made chicken broth using chicken broth granuales and mixed it with one container of onion and chive sour cream, added the pasta last. Gave it a couple good stirs to get the sause all over everything and it was ready to go. The sauce wasnt very thick but it didn't need to be, it was rich in flavor.

I think this recipe serves 6, not 4. This is a new fave in my house. Very Easy.

Very simple and very good! Thank you for sharing!

pasta this easy to make i love this site thanks recipe

Great blend of ingredients. I substituted tortellini for bow tie pasta, and shrimp for chicken, and tossed a pinch of ginger in for a smokin' meal. Still great effort. Thanks for the recipe.

Sounds good but it is very thick and the cream cheese over powers everything. Not one of my favs.

This is a dish for a crowd (not for 4, as it says in the recipe, unless you are starving!) Very tasty, and worth repeating. Like many, I sauteed the chicken w/ some seasonings rather than boil it. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly.

I absolutely love this!!! i first made it in my FACS class and it was amazing!! then i made it at home and my boyfriend absolutely loved it!

I started with pre-seasoned lemon pepper chicken breasts. (I have like a huge freezer full because they were on sale.) I boiled them in lots of water with 2 teaspoons bouillion mixed in. After removing the chicken, I brought the broth back up to boiling and added the noodles to the pot. Everything else I followed except I added mushrooms and used frozen broccoli instead of fresh...the broccoli got a little soft but I still enjoyed it immensely. It was excellent!!

This is similar to the receipe I have. Instead of using cream cheese I use smoked gouda. I also use smoked turkey but have used chicken which I saute first I first saute the broccoli and then add the some of the broth with the cheese. It takes a while for the cheese to melt and you need to stir it so it does not stick or burn. As the cheese melts I add more broth. I do use red pepper flakes which gives it a litle heat. I have three grown boys and they and their wives love this dish. It is the one dish I can bring over any time and they will always ask for more.

I've made this dish several times and it turns out great. I make two modifications though. I cut the chicken into bite size pieces and use slightly less than the 12 oz. pasta the recipe calls for otherwise I think it would be too dry. Thanks for a wonderful recipe Stacey!

I made this for two friends last night and they raved about it. It was not difficult, and had a great flavor. Substituting already minced garlic for the fresh kind made it much easier, too. This is a delicious, quick and easy dinner. Thanks!

Very good. My family really enjoyed this. I used the light cream cheese and used 3 large chicken breasts which was more then plenty. I will certainly make this again.

Y.U.M.M.Y! Fantastic....definitely a keeper in my recipe box!

This was outrageously good!! And alot better than it looks on the photo. Made this for the kids when me and my husband were going out for dinner, I almost changed my mind about the restaurant. That's how good this was. Made some changes though; used maccaroni instead of bow tie pasta and alot less chicken than the recipe called for. Mushrooms instead of red bell pepper, cram cheese with herbs instead of onion and chives and mozzarella cheese instead of parmesan. Not drastic changes really, but I did put mine in a large pan, drizzled the cheese over and baked in a hot oven until the top layer was golden and crispy. And that did it for me, if you think this dish is good try to wack it in the oven for a little bit. You'll love it!!

This was ok, but it not quite what I expected. It also makes a ton.

I made this for my husband.. It was Great!!!

4.5 stars......very good, cream cheese was a little hard to find....I had to use a small jar of pimentoes instead of red pepper and it was just great!

VERY RICH but VERY GOOD. The chive/onion cream cheese does dominate the dish but goes well if you have alot of chicken, veggies and noodles in the dish. I didn't change a thing, except I may add a little more broccoli and chicken next time. I couldn't make this very often (like I said..."rich," which also means just tape it to my rear end) but I WILL make this again. Everyone in my family loved it. Thanks Stacey!

I really liked this recipe. So simple to make with a lot of different possibilities. You can use any vegetables you like. I did use broccoli, red peppers, mushrooms, and peas. I also used vegetable bow tie pasta and it came out wonderfully.

I used whole grain farfalle. If fat and calories are a concern just use fat free cream cheese and cut the parmesan cheese to taste. You have a relatively guilt free delicious meal!

I sautéed the chicken in olive oil rather than poaching it, and I added red pepper flakes to the veggies. I also used light cream cheese instead of regular. The cream cheese flavor in the pasta sauce was a little unusual and will take some getting used to, but I still thought the dish was very good.

This was super easy and super tasty. I liked it even better the next day, eaten cold.

My family really did not care for this at all, it lacked flavor (bland) even though i kicked up the salt and pepper quite a bit, I don't think its a bad recipe, just not for us...

Made this recipe last night exactly as written... family loved it (including young children ages 4, 6, and 8)! Love the cream cheese in the sauce! This is definitely a keeper in our house.

I used 1/2 of the called for amount of cream cheese and the sauce was plenty creamy. I had only plain cream cheese, but lots of green onion I was trying to use up and that was a good combination. I doubled the amount of brocoli, added half when the reciped called for and half when I mixed the pasta and sauce together for some extra crunch in the pasta. I did cook the chicken in broth rather than water as some reviewers suggested. My 9 year old daughter loved this recipe, as did my husband. Unlike some creamy pasta recipes the leftovers heated up very nicely for a second night's dinner. I added a bit of milk when heating and it was as creamy as the original meal. Definitely a keeper recipe for us! Thanks for sharing it!

This was a very good recipe. I did do a few modifications, however. I boiled my pasta in the chicken broth/stock (that I had from boiling a whole cut up chicken). I did not add brocolli, and did add a can of rotel, and a can of stewed tomatoes. Thanks for the recipe!

We can't have dairy products in our house unless they're lactose free. Certainly no soft cheeses. I've tried this with a small amount of white roux. If you're going for Alfredo put a pinch of sugar and some butter in the roux. Of course a pad of butter makes everything betta.

This recipe was delicious and easy to make! I did make a few changes to it. I cut the chicken and browned it while the pasta was cooking. Then I put the broth, broccoli, and spices in the pan to simmer. I only made it for 2 people, but it did not take even 8 minutes to simmer. Next I substituted 3/4 of a jar of creamy alfredo sauce for the cheese and added it to the broth mixture. I didn't have any of the cream cheese and I wasn't too sure if I'd like it that rich. It turned out so good that I can't wait to make it again! My husband agrees!

This recipe is easy to make and tastes great. I didn't use an broccoli, b/c neither of us like it, but it still tasted great. I scaled down the recipe to make 2 servings, and still had leftovers...they are good the next day too!

I like to make this when I have leftover rotisserie chicken - super easy then!! This is a really good meal in one dish!! VERY tasty!!

Very tasty! This actually wasn't the recipe I used (I used a similar one off of the back of a pasta box), but it was basically the same thing. I cooked the chicken in oil with garlic. I then cooked brocolli and red peppers with the chicken broth, added the chicken, then used 2 containers of chive and onion cream cheese, and mixed the pasta in. Delicious!

This is a super easy and so tasty! It's great for a crowd!!

Really enjoyed this meal. Added more cream cheese to make it wetter and that made it better. Because the chicken was boiled, it didn't have any flavor. Just make sure to season the dish. I added fresh mushrooms and garlic and broccoli. Delicious!

Simple but time consuming... but so worth it! This was absolutely delicious and filling!! It will definitely make in into our regular rotation :)

didn't like this.

FANTASTIC! My kids even loved it! The only thing I did differently was I didn't boil the chicken, i just cooked it on the stove with some garlic seasoning and cajun seasoning and then cut it up into cubes. I also didn't use as much chive cream cheese, only 12 oz instead of 16 oz. It was rich enough in taste. Great recipe though!

Pretty boring for so much work and dirty pans, not much flavor. I would never make this again. The sauce was thin and lacking. I did like the idea of steaming the broccoli and peppers in chicken broth with the garlic as that was a new method for me.

Great flavor and so simple to make! Even my picky kids ate it!

This was OK.

This was so yummy! And really easy! I made it last night for mommy's night out and it was a total success! I forgot to get two of the cream cheese packages so I ended up only using one, but it was still super yummy (and a few less calories)! Oh, and my one year old LICKED her plate clean! So if she will eat it (and shes a picky eater) then it has to be good! Cant wait to make it again!

I used the garlic & herb cheese from Boursin. Left out the red pepper. It was pretty good.

This was just...weird. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great and even adding in 6 cloves of garlic (vs 2) didn't help. I think cutting the broth in half might have helped? Sauce was just a tad runnier than I would have liked. It was fine, just not going in the recipe book. Would rather have alfredo.

I thought this was very easy and very delicious. I followed the recipe exactly.

This was really disappointing. I made exactly as instructions and it was just really bland.