15 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes or regular diced tomatoes
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp dried chives
1½ c low fat or fat free cottage cheese (small curd)
½ c Greek yogurt (I used fat free)
4 oz smoked Gruyere or mozzarella (shred)
4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, divided (shred)
2 large carrots, chopped (about 1 c)
1 c chopped broccoli
10 oz whole wheat pasta or GF pasta
¼ c Ranch dressing (your favorite brand or homemade)
Red pepper flakes, optional
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp bacon bits, optional (many are accidentally vegetarian)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spritz a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish with nonstick spray.
Saute the onion and garlic in a nonstick pan over medium heat, spritzing with nonstick spray or adding a little water as necessary to prevent sticking.
Add the chicken, tomatoes, parsley, dill, and chives and simmer 5 - 10 minutes.
Add the cottage cheese, yogurt, smoked cheese, and 2 oz of the cheddar. Reduce he at to low and cook until excess liquid has evaporated. Careful not to boil or the dairy will get a strange texture.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta. In the last 5 minutes of cook time add the broccoli and carrots. Strain and return to pot.
Pour the sauce over the pasta and veggies. Stir until well mixed, adding the Ranch dressing. Taste, adding salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. (I like a few shakes of red pepper for a little spice, leave out or add to individual portions when serving if you need to be careful about spice).
Transfer to prepared casserole dish, sprinkling with reserved cheddar and bacon bits, if desired.
Bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melty.
Notes
I used BeyondMeat Chicken, but any faux chicken will work. Feel free to sub in pre-cooked chicken if you're not vegetarian. If you aren't a fan of faux meats, a can of rinsed black beans would work great, too.