I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for #CollectiveBias and its advertiser. #SummerofGiving
Giving is something that I’m trying to teach my kids early in life. While I don’t want to scare them, I think it’s important that they know that others may not have as much as they do or that sometimes people need a little extra help. We frequently give to food drives, donate at toy drop locations, and have volunteered. But I feel the need to do more, so I’m always looking for companies that give back. Which is why I was particularly happy to learn that that Tyson has partnered with Champions for Kids in an event that they’re calling the “Summer of Giving”. Designed to promote Tyson’s goal of eliminate hunger, the Summer of Giving program will provide 1 meal for a child in need for every bag of frozen Tyson chicken product sold (specially marked packages detailing this program are on their way to stores now!).
So I decided to go to Walmart and purchase a few bags of Tyson chicken. You see, I have a friend that’s in the third trimester of her pregnancy and going through a pretty rough time. Recently, she’s had a death in the family and some issues with her older son, yet every time we ask them how we can help they say they are fine. Tyson’s program got me thinking, what about making a meal…a meal that would be easy for them to throw in the freezer and take out on a day that they need it. After all, giving should start at home, in our own communities and with our friends. Giving shouldn’t be have to be to nameless, faceless people.
I’ll admit, when I first went shopping, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to make, but I decided to pick up some Tyson Grilled & Ready strips and some Tyson chicken nuggets. There are so many easy chicken meal ideas that can be completed with Tyson Grilled & Ready and I figured that the chicken nuggets would be perfect for her older children. Since I wanted to make something that she could freeze, and because I’m a bit short on time myself, I decided on a pasta bake with Alfredo sauce. Because who can resist Alfredo sauce? Certainly not me. And to make it a little more yummy, I threw in some bacon. But I wanted the meal to be complete, one that they wouldn’t have to think about. So I also put together a chicken Caesar salad and a few brownies (confession: not all the brownies made it…there was some sampling that occurred before the meal left the house). 
And sure enough, when I delivered the meal over the weekend, you could see the appreciation on her face. The family that had told us all along that they were just fine, seemed to be so happy that we thought of them…and maybe just a little relieved that they didn’t have to worry about dinner that night. Want to make this fantastic pasta bake yourself? Here’s the recipe:
For this recipe you will need
3 cups dry bowtie pasta
1 jar Alfredo sauce (15 oz)
1 cup cooked Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken, cut into bite size pieces
1/3 cup bacon pieces
1/2 shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Dash of basil
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 plain breadcrumbs
1/4 shredded Parmesan cheese
Step 1 – Preheat oven to 350.
Step 2 – Boil pasta to al dente. Drain and place to the side.
Step 3 – While pasta is boiling, cook Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken Strips over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Cut into bite sized pieces (or you could just by the Tyson Grilled & Ready chunks of chicken – I should have done this, but bought the strips so I figured I’d just make the best of it and cut them up).
Step 4 – Combine cooked pasta, Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken, Alfredo sauce, bacon, mozzarella, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, basil, salt, pepper, and garlic.
Step 5 – Pour pasta mixture into a greased, oven safe dish; mine was an 9″ round, but you could probably also use a 8″x8″ square or 9″x13″ rectangular pan. Sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs (you may not need the entire 1/4 cup, depending on what size dish you use) and remaining Parmesan cheese.
Step 6 – Bake in the oven, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until the top is brown and it bubbles on the sides (in some cases you may hear this rather than see it).
Serve with a chicken Caesar salad and a brownie for dessert!
To learn more about Tyson and Champions for Kids Summer of Giving to end hunger, be sure to check out their website. One meal really can make a difference!
I think your friend will very much appreciate it. I think people who are in crisis situations either don’t want to bother people or they simply can’t think through what they need. Providing a special, nutritious meal is a great way to show you care without making a huge production about it.
Would you mind adding your link in the comments to my post? I thought it would be cool to show how other bloggers are participating in this campaign. http://jamiesthots.com/2014/06/16/know-community-involvement-can-end-hunger/
What a thoughtful idea! I could have used a friend like you after the birth of our son (unfortunately, we lived in an area hours away from friends and family).
I am a huge believer in the “gift is in the giving” and I applaud you for doing this. My husband is from Northwest Arkansas and I know that he and the residents there carry a lot of pride for what Tyson does in the community (Tyson is based there). So thoughtful of you and I know the recipe is also one my husband would enjoy! 🙂 – Heather, Life of a Traveling Navy Wife
omg this sounds delicious! And what an awesome act of kindness making a meal for your friend 🙂
That was an awesome way to help your friend! It was so thoughtful of you! Cooking for others in a time of need is what I love to do myself whether they have a new child, a surgery of some sort, death in the family, etc. So many times people do not want to feel like a bother to others and when you do things such as this, it means so much to them! I am so excited to hear of the Tyson program, I love supporting companies that give back! Your recipe sounds heavenly and I cannot wait to prepare it for my family! Thank you for sharing it with us!!
Thats AWESOME for you to do that. Some people jsut need that little bit of extra help. GOOD KARMA! If it wasnt for people like you when my husband had his heart surgery I would had been starving while spending 2 weeks in a town I know nobody and no way to get there! So Mahalo for the good you are doing..Also Mahalo for the recipe I am sooo making it!
First I have to say I love that you served your dinner with brownies. Soooo my weakness. What a great idea for a meal to give to a friend.
What a beautiful gesture. Friends brought me dinner many times after my kids were born and it was a huge lifesaver. Just knowing that someone cared enough to prepare food for me was a gift.
This looks delicious! We love Tyson chicken nuggets, but I never thought about adding them to a casserole! Brilliant!!!
You literally made my mouth water at work, now I’m hungry!! I know what I’m having tonight! This recipe sounds delicious!
That pasta bake looks absolutely delicious! I love that Tyson and Champions for Kids are making it so easy to give back to our communities and help families and children in need!! I’m glad you were able to help out your friend!! #client
YUM! We always have a bag of the Grilled & Ready Chicken in our freezer, and this is a delicious way to dress it up. I’m pinning this for later as a quick and easy dinner idea. I love that you included bacon….my favorite! 🙂
This looks so yummy and easy! Will have to try this next week for dinner.
Looks Like A Delicious Dish I Can’t Wait To Make The Recipe For The Family!
This sounds great! I love the new spin on an alfredo and I just might have to try it myself and that grilled and ready chicken is really quite tasty! I was very pleasantly surprised by it.
Ok, this looks absolutely delicious! That crumbly topping would be perfect in my belly
That is so kind and the recipe looks great, I will be trying it.