Kale and Bacon Baked Pasta

Kale & Bacon Baked Pasta

Do you watch the show Chopped? It’s a cooking show where chefs are given four ingredients and a short amount of time to use them all in one dish.

I absolutely love watching cooking shows that inspire me to come up with my own recipes, which is why I was excited when Sargento challenged me to an at home Chopped challenge.

The four ingredients I had to use were:

• Sargento 4 State Cheddar
• Kale
• Bacon
• Oyster Crackers

I decided to do a twist on my Easy Baked Pasta and create a Kale and Bacon Baked Pasta dish. I love how it turned out with the smokey flavor from the bacon and the creamy savory flavor from the Sargento 4 State Cheddar.

If you want to create your own recipe you can enter Sargento’s Chopped at Home Contest where you could win $10,000. Click here to learn more.

How to Make Kale & Bacon Baked Pasta:

Cook pasta and drain.

Sauté Kale leaves over medium heat until limp (approx. 2 minutes).

Mix spaghetti sauce, sour cream, bacon, kale and 1 cup Sargento 4 State Cheddar in saucepan.

Place drained pasta in 9×13 greased baking dish and stir in sauce mixture.

Sprinkle top with remaining cheese and crushed crackers. Optional: Drizzle 2 tbsp butter over crackers if you want them to be brown.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Don’t forget to enter the Chopped at Home Contest for your chance to win $10,000!

What dish would you create using Sargento Cheese?

Print Recipe

Kale and Bacon Baked Pasta

Kale, bacon, cheese, pasta and tomato sauce, topped with crushed crackers, baked to perfection in a casserole dish.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Kale & Bacon Baked Pasta

Servings: 8

Calories: 273kcal

Ingredients

• 1 box 13.25 oz whole wheat penne pasta
• 3 cups chopped kale leaves
• 1 cup cooked crumbled bacon
• 24 oz spaghetti sauce
• 8 oz sour cream
• 1/2 cup crushed oyster crackers
• 7.5 oz Sargento 4 State Cheddar

Instructions

• Cook pasta and drain.
• Sauté Kale leaves over medium heat until limp (approx. 2 minutes).
• Mix spaghetti sauce, sour cream, bacon, kale and 1 cup Sargento 4 State Cheddar in saucepan.
• Place drained pasta in 9×13 greased baking dish and stir in sauce mixture.
• Sprinkle top with remaining cheese and crushed crackers.
• Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Nutrition

Calories: 273kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 914mg | Potassium: 547mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3326IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 274mg | Iron: 2mg

Available in 30 versatile varieties, unique blends and distinct cuts, Sargento Shredded Cheese is always cut from blocks of 100% real, natural cheese. For more inspiration, check out the Sargento Pinterest page Pinterest.com/sargentocheese/ or visit Sargento.com for more information. The Chopped at Home Challenge gives viewers a chance to create their best recipe using the selected basket ingredients, including Sargento Shredded Cheese, for a chance to win $10,000!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sargento. The opinions and text are all mine.