Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne Pasta

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Baked pasta with chicken and tomatoes

This baked cheesy chicken penne pasta is comfort food at its finest!  It is loaded with chicken, oven roasted tomatoes, and a rich creamy sauce.

Best of all, it can be made ahead of time and thrown in the oven about an hour before dinner. This baked pasta is a perfect freezer meal too!

This recipe makes a large amount.  I usually divide the mixture into two separate baking dishes.  Put one in the oven for dinner and put one in the freezer for later.  Two dinners in one!  Yahoo!!!

I have been trying to find additional ways to use up the tomatoes from our garden.  I made a batch of oven roasted tomatoes and  used them here. Oven roasting concentrates all that delicious tomato flavor.

You could also use sun dried tomatoes.  I’ve used both the dried and the oil packed variety and they both work fine.  The oven roasted tomatoes were perfect too.

Another popular pasta baked dish is Chicken Pasta Bake. It’s similar to this pasta bake, but uses canned tomatoes instead. 

 How to make oven roasted tomatoes

• You need fresh, vine-ripened tomatoes.  Simply wash, core, and halve tomatoes.
• My tomatoes were huge (grapefruit sized) so I quartered them.  If you use a small tomato, smaller than a roma, you can leave whole.
• Place tomatoes on a foil lined rimmed baking sheet.  
• Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt.
• Bake at 300 degrees for 2-3 hours.  You want the tomatoes to be soft and just slightly caramelized.
• Keep an eye on your oven after the second hour.  
• The cooking time depends on the size and juiciness of your tomatoes.

To make this baked pasta you will need:

• penne pasta
• oven roasted tomatoes or a jar of oil packed sun dried tomatoes
• shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• shredded Parmesan cheese
• cooked chicken – this a perfect dish to use leftover chicken

I like to serve this pasta with Homemade Dinner Rolls and a Caesar Salad.

5 from 1 vote

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Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne Pasta

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Rest Time

10 mins

Total Time

1 hr 10 mins

 

Cheesy baked casserole with chicken and slow roasted tomatoes.

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Baked pasta, Baked pasta with chicken, Penne pasta with chicken

Servings: 16 servings

Calories: 371 kcal

Author: Kathy

Ingredients

• 1 pound penne pasta
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 6 Tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup flour
• 6 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 1/2 Cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup oven roasted tomatoes chopped
• 4 cups chopped cooked chicken

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse with water and set aside in large pot or bowl.
2. In a large saute pan, add olive oil, butter and garlic over low heat. Saute just until the garlic becomes fragrant.
3. Add flour. Stir until just slightly browned (about 1 minute.)
4. While whisking, add milk. Continue whisking over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken.
5. Add salt and pepper.

6. Turn off heat and slowly whisk in Monterey Jack cheese and 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese.

7. Add roasted tomatoes and chicken. Stir just until combined.
8. Pour cheese mixture over pasta and combine.
9. Divide mixture and pour into two, 2 quart baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
10. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
11. Bake uncovered in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes, until bubbly and slightly browned.
12. Let rest about 10 minutes before serving.
13. To freeze, cover cooled mixture with foil and freeze. To bake, place frozen dish into a 400 degree oven, covered with foil. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes until heated through.

Recipe Notes

This recipe includes tips for freezing. Dish can be baked right away, straight from the freezer, or thawed.
Sun dried tomatoes can be used in place of oven roasted tomatoes.

Nutrition Facts

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne Pasta

Amount Per Serving

Calories 371 Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Fat 19g29%

Saturated Fat 10g63%

Cholesterol 60mg20%

Sodium 469mg20%

Potassium 266mg8%

Carbohydrates 29g10%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 19g38%

Vitamin A 515IU10%

Vitamin C 0.8mg1%

Calcium 331mg33%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites