Smokey Tex Mex White Cheddar and Chicken Spaghetti

This is a recipe I found on Pinterest and it peaked my curiosity because my 4yr old wont eat regular spaghetti made with a marinara sauce. In fact if there is a tomato or a mushroom within a foot of her plate she wont touch it! This issue puts a damper on my apatite and some of my cooking because spaghetti and meatballs with marinara sauce is one of my favorite meals. And I use mushrooms and tomatoes for a lot of dishes but for her I'll do just about anything but sometimes I can get away with saying the "red things" in her food are bell peppers and she'll eat it.

Adapted from: http://www.laurenslatest.com/tex-mex-chicken-white-cheddar-spaghetti/

Altered by: Stacy

Ingredients:

3/4 lb. thin spaghetti (I have also used small shells)

5 tablespoons butter

1 yellow onion; diced

1 red bell pepper; diced

1 carton of mushroom slices; cut in half

1 cup frozen corn

2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

4 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 cans chicken stock 

2 cups half and half

2 large chicken breasts; cooked and shredded 

8oz grated sharp white cheddar cheese (I used a smoked white cheddar that I found on sale)

1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapenos + 1/2 tablespoon juice (don't add the jalapenos to the whole dish if you want your kids to enjoy this meal!! The juice is fine but use the peppers as a garnish)

1/2 tsp cumin or a little more until desired taste is achieved 

dash of powdered mustard

dash of garlic powder

dash of paprika 

Directions:

Bring large pot of water to boil, add chicken and cook until done. Remove hot pot to burner. In a large pot or I like to use a cast dutch oven, melt butter and saute onions and red bell peppers until then are softened, about 5 minutes. You can shred your chicken in between stirring your onions. Stir in flour and cook 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in 1 can of chicken broth then milk to prevent lumps. Increase heat to thicken sauce. Sprinkle in grated cheese and stir continuously to melt into sauce evenly. Stir in cumin, powdered mustard, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, corn, mushrooms, jalapeno juice, chicken, and 1 tbs cilantro. Turn your heat to low once sauce starts to thicken and let sit until your pasta is cooked. If your sauce is too thick, open the second can of broth and add just enough to reach desired consistency. Toss to coat everything evenly in sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve warm with more cilantro and diced jalapeno peppers.