Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place tenders on the baking sheet and bake for 7 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Once cool, cut tenders into bite-sized pieces (each tender should yield about 4 pieces).
Reduce oven heat to 350°F and prepare a square casserole or baking dish (8x8 or 9x9).
Cook pasta according to package directions, only to al dente (you don’t want the pasta to be fully cooked).
Drain pasta but reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, set aside. Add pasta back to pot.
Mix together the smoked paprika and breadcrumbs. Mix in the olive oil and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine queso with the reserved pasta water. Mix well then add to pasta in pot.
Stir to coat all pasta then add tenders and mix.
Transfer mixture to baking dish and top with panko mixture. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!