CopyCat Ruby Tuesday Sonoran Chicken Pasta

Ingredients

1¼ lb chicken breasts, boneless and skinless chicken breasts, grilled and thinly sliced
16 oz penne pasta, cooked and cooled
3 tbsp unsalted butter
½ tsp paprika

For Cheese Sauce:
16 oz cheese spread, (1 jar), preferably Cheez Whiz
½ cup heavy cream
2 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
4 tbsp green chili pepper, minced
2 tbsp red chili pepper, minced
4 tbsp yellow onion, minced
¼ cup white wine
2 tsp granulated sugar
¼ tsp ground cumin
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
To Serve:
15 oz black beans, (1 can), drained and rinsed
6 oz tomatoes, chopped
green onions, thinly sliced

Directions

Sauce:
Combine the cheese spread with the cream in a small saucepan, then cook over medium to low heat. Stir the cheese often until it melts and becomes smooth. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, green chili pepper, red chili pepper, and yellow onion. Saute until translucent.

De-glaze with white wine and reduce briefly.

Add the cheese sauce, granulated sugar, and ground cumin. Bring the sauce to a simmer.

Continue simmering for 5 to 7 minutes or until the flavors meld and incorporate, stirring occasionally.

Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the paprika and roast briefly.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the pasta, and toss to combine. Return to the heat and warm through.

To Assemble:
Transfer roughly ¼ of the pasta to a plate and pour about ⅓ cup of cheese sauce over the pasta.

Place roughly 5 ounces of cooked and sliced chicken breasts on top.

Add ⅓ cup of the black beans over the chicken.

Add roughly ¼ cup of chopped tomatoes to the beans.

Garnish with green onions and serve. Enjoy!