To ask a really embarrassing cooking related question?

[LaraReign]

Ok so I can't cook but I really am trying to learn. I have these in the fridge so thought I'd make chicken Cajun pasta bake. BUT - these say to cook in the centre of the oven for half an hour. If I chop them up and cook them in with the pasta and sauce instead will that not work? I'm vegetarian but really don't want to poison my family!

Why not chop and slow fry on a low heat before adding them to the sauce, so that they’re already cooked? It’s been nearly 30 years since I cooked meat but it’s the sort of thing I used to do.

No, you need to cook them as per the instructions, and then you can chop up and stir into the pasta & sauce once they’re cooked. Don’t mess with chicken! If it’s not cooked properly it has potential to make people really unwell.
good luck!

Yes, Chop them up shallow fry for a bit to get some colour on them then simmer in the sauce till done (roughly 20 mins)

You can pan-fry chicken but the colours of the spices mixed with the sauce make it hard for you to see when it's done.

I'd personally oven cook them then just add to the sauce at the end.

As pps said, pan fry it and then mix it into the pasta and sauce and bake. It's fool proof so don't worry

Chop them and fry them off until they’re not pink anymore (on the inside too!), then add to your pasta sauce.

I don’t know why pp thinks you can bake them but not fry them.

To test if they are done on a pan you can always just cut piece open. That's how I check if unsure. At the end of the day, it's just piece of chicken so you can cook it as any other piece of chicken

As long as it’s cooked through and not pink it doesn’t matter whether they are baked in an oven or cut up and fried
It will be fine OP

Sorry didn’t realise it was pasta bake! I’d make sure they were near enough done before baking as others have said

Do you have a thermometer you can use? I have a sugar thermometer which I also use for meat when I cook it. There's a table partway down this page which says how long chicken has to be at different temperatures to be safe to eat. If you cook meat for your family regularly it cook be worth getting if you don't have one, as it's under £10 and takes all guesswork out of it.

Yes. Chop it into pieces and it'll cook much more quickly. Ensure there are no pink bits in the middle. If it's to have with pasta I'd cook the chicken in the sauce and cook the pasta separately then combine.

Pan frying and then in the sauce will be fine. It's no different to a regular chicken breat that you've marinated yourself.

I'm surprised that someone would think baking was OK but frying not. It's all cooking it!

The instructions on the pack are if you want to achieve the proposed end result.

You can cook them by any other method you like as long as they end up cooked all the way through with no pink juices.

Don't cook them in a pan with the pasta and sauce because all of those things cook at different rates.

The pasta needs to be boiled for around 12 minutes. Assuming the sauce is a jar It just needs heating through for a couple of minutes with the pasta. The chicken will need 10 -15 minutes pan frying on a medium heat.

For ease and peace of mind while you are learning and getting practice cooking, it might be best to follow the instructions and oven bake it, then slice it and stir it through the sauce as you are heating that.

I didn't mean cook in with the pasta and sauce as in while the pasta boils in water- I'm clueless but not that clueless 🤣

I meant cook the pasta, put in tray, cover with sauce and then slice the chicken, stir in and then in the oven to bake.

Thanks for your help, I feel better about it now🙂