Chicken Cordon Blue Pasta

I got this recipe from a friend/relative. I have a lot of chicken cordon blue recipes, but I like this one with pasta.

 

Chicken Cordon Blue Pasta
Source: Weston Recipe Box

1 lb. pasta (I used penne-you could use any fun shaped pasta)
1 cup chicken, cooked and cubed
1 cup ham, cooked and cubed (I just used deli sliced ham cut into pieces)
1 1/2 cups milk
8 oz. cream Cheese (softened)
2 Tbsp. dried minced onion
2 cups swiss cheese, shredded (I used the cheese I had on hand: colby jack)
salt & pepper
cayenne pepper
1 cup panko crumbs (I ran out of bread crumbs so I used ritz crackers)
1/2 cup butter, melted

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over med-high heat. Salt it and add the pasta; cook until al dente. Drain and return to the pot. Add in the chicken and ham and toss to combine.

Preheat the broiler. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream cheese and minced onion over low-medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until it becomes a smooth texture (about 5 minutes). Stir into the pasta mixture. Stir in the Swiss cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer pasta to a baking dish and top with Panko crumbs. Pour melted butter over crumbs and broil until browned (I gave it 4 minutes)