Looking for a baked pasta dish that’s made from scratch without canned soup? This Chicken Pasta Bake is just what you’re looking for. With over 300 five-star reviews, you know it’s going to be good!
Chicken pasta casserole
Easy Creamy Chicken Pasta Bake is a comforting dish that brings together tender chicken, pasta, and a rich, creamy sauce all baked to golden perfection. It’s a favorite in my house, especially on busy weeknights when I need a hearty, satisfying meal that comes together with minimal effort.
My top tips for the best creamy chicken pasta bake:
- Cook your pasta just shy of al dente. The pasta will continue to cook as it bakes, soaking up all the creamy goodness without becoming overcooked.
- Shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese often contains anti-caking agents that can affect how it melts. For the creamiest sauce, grate your cheese fresh.
- Use leftover chicken. Use leftover chicken or pre-cooked rotisserie chicken to save time and add extra flavor.
- Customize with veggies. Add sautéed mushrooms, spinach, or broccoli to make this dish your own.
This pasta bake is rich, cheesy, and perfect for feeding a crowd or enjoying as leftovers. Once you try it, it’s sure to become a go-to recipe in your kitchen!:
Chicken Pasta Casserole Ingredients
This section reviews the best ingredients and substitutions for this recipe. For an exact list of ingredients and quantities, check the recipe card below.
- Pasta - penne pasta or other hearty pasta
- Chicken - cooked and diced. This is a great dish to use leftover chicken!
- Cheese - Monterey Jack and parmesan cheese
- Diced Tomatoes - use canned peeled tomatoes that are drained from the juices. I use my homemade canned tomatoes!
- Milk - whole milk makes the creamiest sauce
How to make Chicken Pasta Bake
In this section, I share step-by-step photos, cooking methods, techniques, and a general overview. For detailed instructions, temperatures, and timing, check the printable recipe card below.
- Place olive oil, garlic and flour in a saute pan over medium heat. Stir for 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in milk and add seasonings
- Allow milk to come to a simmer, but not a boil. Lower to medium-low heat and continue simmering until sauce thickens
- Turn off heat and whisk in cheese and stir well until cheese is melted
- Add chicken and tomatoes
6. Add cooked and drained pasta
7. Place in a 7x11 inch greased casserole dish
8. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese
9. Bake in a preheated 400° oven for 25-30 minutes until golden and bubbly
10. Let rest for 5-10 minutes and serve hot
11. Garnish with fresh parsley
Recipe tips
- Make your sauce while your pasta is cooking
- Be certain to fully drain your pasta
- Use canned tomatoes. They can be diced or whole. Fully drain and if using whole tomatoes, chop them into smaller pieces.
- Turn heat off once you add the cheese. This will help prevent your sauce from breaking.
Variations
- Pasta - Any hearty pasta; ziti, fettucini, or thick spaghetti
- Cheese - Use your favorite: pepper jack, colby, or gouda. Smoked gouda would also be delicious
- Meat - Use Leftover turkey, cooked Italian sausage, or smoked chicken.
- Tomatoes - For a spicy version, use a can of roasted tomatoes with chiles.
- Veggies - Add 1 cup of cooked broccoli, peas, sauteed mushrooms or steamed asparagus.
How to store Cheesy Chicken Pasta Bake
Store any leftover cheesy chicken pasta bake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, place a single portion in a microwave-safe dish and heat for 60-90 seconds until heated through.
Can I freeze this casserole?
Yes, this dish can be fully prepared and then frozen before baking. To use a frozen bake, I pull it out of the freezer in the morning and bake in the evening.
The pasta will still be slightly frozen and you will need to increase the baking time by 30- 45 minutes.
Recipe Faqs
Yes, you can make it ahead of time. Assemble the casserole, but instead of putting it in the oven, cover casserole and place in the refrigerator until ready to bake. May need to increase baking time by 15 minutes
More delicious casseroles
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
If you loved this recipe, you'll LOVE all the others in this category. Check out all my main dish recipes here!
Creamy Chicken Pasta Bake
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Glass Baking Dish 7x11
- Whisk
- Saute Pan
Ingredients
Pasta
- 8 ounces penne pasta
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 2 cups milk (whole milk )
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ⅛ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese (shredded, about 2 cups)
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese (shredded)
- 2 cups Cooked chicken (chopped)
- 1 cup Canned diced tomatoes (15 oz can, drain juice)
Topping
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley (chopped, optional)
Instructions
Pasta
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well.8 ounces penne pasta
Sauce
- In a sauce pan over medium heat combine oil and flour. Stir for 2-3 minutes.2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons flour
- Add minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds.1 clove garlic
- Whisk in milk. Continue cooking over medium low heat, stirring often. Add seasoning. When milk begins to simmer, it will begin to thicken. Do not boil.2 cups milk, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ⅛ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Turn heat off and whisk in Monterey Jack cheese and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- Add tomatoes and chicken. Fold in gently.1 cup Canned diced tomatoes, 2 cups Cooked chicken
- Add cooked and drained pasta and fold gently until covered with cheese sauce
- Spray a 2 quart (8x11") casserole dish with a non stick spray. Add pasta mixture.
- Top with remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- Bake uncovered in a preheated 400° oven for 20-30 minutes until hot and bubbly
- Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving
- Add chopped parsley before serving1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley
Video
Notes
- Make your sauce while your pasta is cooking
- Be certain to fully drain your pasta
- Use canned tomatoes. They can be diced or whole. Fully drain and if using whole tomatoes, chop them into smaller pieces.
- Turn the heat before you add the cheese. Add the cheese slowly and whisk while adding. This will help prevent your sauce from breaking.
- Cheese - pepper jack, colby, or gouda. Smoked gouda would also be delicious
- Meat - leftover turkey or cooked Italian sausage
- Veggies - add 1 cup of cooked broccoli, peas, mushrooms or asparagus
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Meghan says
Haven't made this yet; would love to try. But is there any way I could make this without using quite so much oil?
Kathy says
Hi Meghan,
The oil and flour are mixed together to make a roux, which thickens the sauce. You could try using cornstarch and water mixed together in place of the oil and flour. Please note that the consistency will be very different. It won't be a creamy sauce, it will be a bit more similar to gravy.
Another idea is to use all heavy cream in place of the milk and allow the cream to thicken when being heated.
I'm afraid I don't have a low calorie/fat version of this recipe.
Kathy
Wendy says
Have you tried it with mozzarella? would that be good ? I also have gouda
Kathy says
Hi Wendy,
I have not made it with mozzarella, but I think it would work fine. Gouda should work as well. It's naturally really creamy. Let me know how it turns out!
Kathy 🙂
James says
Thanks for the recipe.
Kathy says
You bet! 🙂
Clelia says
Really bad, sauce looked scrambled and inedible, just horrid!
Kathy says
Hi Clelia,
I'm sorry this didn't work out for you. The sauce can curdle if you've cooked on a very high heat. Whisking the cheeses in slowly over low heat is also crucial. You need to continue whisking until smooth.
I hope this helps!
Kathy
Katy says
What an unnecessary criticism. You can be much kinder. She obviously worked hard on this recipe and it’s very nice of her to share it with us.
Kathy says
Thank you, Katy! I appreciate your kind words 🙂
Jeff says
Hi. I'm making this as we speak (or as I type). Should I drain the tomatoes. Thanks for this.
Kathy says
Hi Jeff,
You do want to drain the tomatoes.
Kathy
Lara M says
I absolutely LOVE this recipe!!! It’s so easy & I always have these ingredients. Now that I know it’s a fave, I’ll start tweaking it to my insane taste.
Kathy says
Thanks, Lara! I love adding a few different things here and there to recipes to fit my families likes and to mix things up a bit. Have fun! 🙂
Sterling says
Delicious the whole family loved it! Super easy to make...I tweaked it a bit and added spinach and mushrooms as well
Kathy says
Hi Sterling,
Thank you! I loved how you added spinach and mushrooms - great idea!
Kathy 🙂
Jaime says
Thanks for sharing your recipe. My family loved it!
Kathy says
Thank you! 🙂
Kathleen Fekete says
During this covid 19 pandemic, I am always looking for prepare once, eat twice meals. This is an excellent casserole dish. I did have to substitute chicken broth for the milk because of allergies to dairy products. But, it was excellent . I froze half and we will have the other half for dinner tonight. Thankyou for sharing!
Kathy says
Thanks! So glad you enjoyed it. Making one to eat and one to freeze is such a good idea.
Stay safe,
Kathy
Cary Burke says
Great recipe! Next time I will add a bit more salt, as well as some lemon, fresh basil, and a pinch more pepper flake to liven it up!
Thanks for sharing.
Kathy says
Thank you! I appreciate your feedback 🙂
Loretta says
Amazing Recipe!! The best pasta dish with leftover baked chicken!! I used the fresh tomatoes instead of the canned diced one and it worked great! Thank you so much!! Delicious!!! ❤️❤️
Kathy says
Hi Loretta,
Thanks so much for leaving a comment! Using fresh tomatoes this time of year, just makes sense. My tomato plants are loaded and I'm trying to use them in everything possible.
Thanks!
Kathy 🙂
Lynn M. says
This was pretty tasty. We gave it a 4 out of 5 based on some quirks we encountered. (Unlike the other reviews, we actually made it. I did not know one gave a review for how the food dish looks!) However, there are some amendments that need to be made to the recipe. 1) What SIZE casserole dishes are needed? (We made a half recipe and based on what was in our big bowl after mixing the ingredients, we "guesstimated". 2) We could not find canned "chopped" tomatoes, so we used diced. We would have preferred to use chopped, and if we make again, we would chop fresh tomatoes. 3) Step 6 states to whisk in the cheeses (more than one), so we put in the Monterrey Jack AND the Parmesan. Ooops. This step should specify the Jack cheese only, not cheeses. 4) The photo shows a green item (parsley?), but there is not mention of anything green in the ingredients.
Kathy says
Hello Lynn, Thank you for your comment and feedback. I know not everyone who leaves comments has actually made my recipes but I still appreciate their comments. I appreciate you taking the time to leave such detailed feedback. I have made some adjustments to my recipe based on your feedback. Fresh chopped tomatoes could certainly be used, just remove the skin first. In step 6 you do add two cheeses - both the Jack and 1/4 cup of the Parm. Another 1/4 cup of Parm is added as a topping. I've clarified this step to avoid further confusion.
Thanks so much visiting Beyond the Chicken Coop and happy baking!
Kathy 🙂
Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes says
This dish just says "comfort food" to me! Sounds so good.
Love a good pasta bake!
Kathy says
You are right! Perfect comfort food.
Kelly | Foodtasia says
Kathy, baked pasta is the ultimate in comfort food! This looks so creamy and delicious - I love how there are some chunks of tomato in the mostly creamy sauce. Looks wonderful!
Fred G says
Great combo of ingredients
Harshad says
I love baked food, and I have to say this baked Pasta recipe looks so tempting!
I also liked the idea of using leftover Chicken in this recipe. It will help get those extra flavors to the dish.
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
This pasta bake would go over really well at our house Kathy. Sending the recipe to my sons. Bet they both could manage this!
Adina says
Definitely a dish my kids would eat any time of the day!! It looks delicious!
David @ Spiced says
We definitely share the same tastes, Kathy! I love a good chicken pasta bake, and this one sounds fantastic. There's something so comforting about this recipe, and I've always got the ingredients (in some form or another) in stock here at home. In fact, this post has me craving a good pasta bake for dinner tonight now! Yum!!
Dawn says
We love pasta bakes in our home! Love how you can pretty much use what's on hand and make something yummy! This one looks absolutely delish, Kathy! Looks so comforting 🙂