This easy Cheesy Chicken Casserole is made with pasta, chunks of tender chicken and a rich tomato sauce all smothered in mozzarella cheese, then baked to bubbling perfection. A comforting dinner that is undeniably delicious and very easy to prepare!
What’s more comforting than a delicious plate of pasta? But wait! This isn’t just any plate of pasta, it’s a Cheesy Chicken Casserole. Top anything with cheese, toss it in the oven, and I’m here for it!
Chunks of tender chicken breast, pasta shells, a can of diced tomatoes and lots of mozzarella cheese. Add a few spices and aromatics and bake to bubbly perfection.
Why Make This Chicken Casserole
- Uses Kitchen Staple Ingredients
- Great Way To Utilize Unused Ingredients in the Fridge
- Simple & Delicious
- Smothered in Cheese
My favorite part about a recipe like this, is that you don’t really need a recipe at all! Like any good chef will tell you, “a good recipe is cooking without a recipe”, and that’s how this pasta dish came to be!
This cheesy chicken casserole will have everyone flocking to the dinner table. With minimal prep and kitchen staple ingredients, this dish is bound to be added to your weekly dinner rotation. I mean, how can you go wrong with pasta smothered in cheese?
Ingredient Notes
- Pasta – I used pasta shells, feel free to use your favorite type of pasta in this dish, such as bow tie pasta, penne, rigatoni, etc.!
- Chicken – Breasts boneless, skinless, chopped in small 1 inch pieces. You can use chicken thighs as well.
- Olive Oil – Substitute sunflower, safflower or avocado oil.
- Butter – I used unsalted to control the sodium in the dish.
- Tomatoes – Diced tomatoes, canned. You can also use crushed tomatoes.
- Chicken Broth – I always opt for low sodium.
- Herbs – Dried oregano and basil. You can also use a blend of Italian seasoning.
- Garlic and Onion – Essential flavor enhancers.
- Red Pepper Flakes – For a little heat. You can substitute with hot sauce, or nothing at all, if you don’t want any heat.
- Mozzarella Cheese – Shredded. Feel free to use your preference of cheese such as Parmesan, Emmental, Monterey Jack, my only recommendation is to shred your own cheese.
How To Make A Chicken Casserole
- Cook The Pasta: Cook the pasta according to package instructions in a pot of boiling salted water.
- Prep the oven: Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cook the Chicken: In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- Add Aromatics: Add the butter to skillet and melt. Stir in onions and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the onion soften and become translucent. Add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds until aromatic.
- Finish the Sauce: Season with more salt and pepper if needed, then add the oregano, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes. Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil, scraping all the brown bits. Add crushed tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Assemble the Casserole: Transfer the cooked pasta to a 9×13-inch casserole dish, pour chicken tomato sauce over the pasta and a cup of the mozzarella cheese, then toss well. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese over the top of the casserole.
- Bake: Transfer the casserole dish the the oven and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, just until the cheese melts and gets bubbly.
FAQs & Expert Tips
FAQs
This casserole is perfect for adding some vegetables to it, such as mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, etc. If looking for a crispy topping, melt some butter and mix it with some breadcrumbs then sprinkle over the top of the casserole before baking.
If you’re looking for a side to pair your chicken casserole with, I would opt for a lighter fare! A salad or a side of roasted vegetables can really round out the meal.
You can make this dish the night before and store it covered in foil in the fridge until ready for baking! Follow the steps up until you top the dish with cheese – when you’re ready, finish with the mozzarella and bake.
Tips
- To make a breadcrumb topping melt 1 tbsp of butter with ¼ cup of breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the top before baking.
- You can add whatever you see fit to this dish! Toss in veggies, spices or any ingredients you want to use up in your fridge.
Leftovers
Store leftover chicken casserole in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for 3-5 days, just make sure it’s properly cooled before storing!
How To Freeze
Baked
- Let the casserole fully cool down to room temperature. Cover the dish well with both plastic wrap and foil. Store in the freezer for 4-6 months.
- Thaw the casserole fully in the fridge for 24 hours. Preheat the oven to 375°F, and let the casserole sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
Unbaked
- Assemble the casserole as stated in the recipe up to and including step 6.
- Cover the dish well with both plastic wrap and foil. Store in the freezer for 4-6 months.
- Thaw the casserole fully in the fridge for 24 hours. Preheat the oven to 375°F, and let the casserole sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Bake the casserole as per the recipe instructions.
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Cheesy Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta any kind of pasta you have in your pantry
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound chicken breasts boneless, skinless, chopped in small 1 inch pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 large onion chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup chicken broth low sodium or no sodium added
- 28 ounce diced tomatoes 1 can
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Cook The Pasta: Cook the pasta according to package instructions in a pot of boiling salted water.
- Prep the oven: Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cook the Chicken: In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- Add Aromatics: Add the butter to skillet and melt. Stir in onions and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the onion soften and become translucent. Add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds until aromatic.
- Finish the Sauce: Season with more salt and pepper if needed, then add the oregano, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes. Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil, scraping all the brown bits. Add crushed tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Assemble the Casserole: Transfer the cooked pasta to a 9×13-inch casserole dish, pour chicken tomato sauce over the pasta and a cup of the mozzarella cheese, then toss well. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese over the top of the casserole.
- Bake: Transfer the casserole dish the the oven and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, just until the cheese melts and gets bubbly.
Video
Recipe Notes
- To make a breadcrumb topping melt 1 tbsp of butter with ¼ cup of breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the top before baking.
- You can add whatever you see fit to this dish! Toss in veggies, spices or any ingredients you want to use up in your fridge.
- Store leftover chicken casserole in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for 3-5 days, just make sure it’s properly cooled before storing!
Two confusing items. You say diced tomatoes in ingredients and crushed tomatoes in instructions. Recipe shows 40 min. Cook time, instructions say 15 to 20 minutes
As it says under ingredients, either work. The total cook time in the recipe card includes the time it takes to cook everything in a skillet and the pasta.
what if I don’t want to add the meat in?
Hi Ana!
You can definitely leave the chicken out of the recipe and substitute it with some vegetables, such as mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, etc.
Let us know how you enjoyed it!
I used a mac&cheese mix in lieu of mozzarella, and also added ~3 cups of chopped broccoli. I baked as recommended for 15 minutes, then broiled a final 5, which made the cheese topping more flavorful. Sauce was a little watery… perhaps because i hadn’t drained the diced tomatoes– or is it because they weren’t crushed instead, as referenced in the instructions?
I truly appreciated the ease of preparation; tho it’s actually a 2-pot meal when you factor in the pasta.
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it! Yes, it may have been from the tomatoes not being crushed. Let us know how it turns out next time too!
This is absolutely delicious. My hubby isn’t fond of one pan meals but he adored this one and wants to have it again
One more question! If I’ve prepared the dish in the morning and when I take it out to heat it it’s cold from the refrigerator, how long would you suggest I reheat it for?
If you’re just reheating in the microwave it shouldn’t take more than 2 or 3 minutes, but if you put it in the oven, I’d reheat it at 350 for about 20 minutes.
Thanks so much! Can’t wait to try it!
Hi! Could I make it in the morning and refrigerate it (to be baked and served in the evening?)..
Sure
Hi, I’m sorry I never made it on here to review but I have made this at least a half dozen times. Very delicious! I replace the red wine for white if I have it. If not, I use all chicken broth. I also omit the mushrooms b/c of my kiddos but all & all – awesome weeknight dinner that everyone loves! Thank you so much!
Thank you Jessica so much. Hope you try some of my other recipes!
This looks amazing and I started to make it for dinner tonight. Except by the time I altered it to fit with the ingredients I had on hand, it may not have been the same….Poor planning on my part, lol. But it was damn fine just the same. Thanks for a great recipe! Let’s hope the next time, I can make it the way you did 😉
So I meant to give that 5 stars but my mouse slipped and I can’t edit my comment…doh!
Thanks Jenna lol.
Could this be made ahead and put in the freezer? What size of pan do you use to bake this in?
Yes you can freeze it. I used a 12 inch pan.
In the instructions it says 9×13, now u say 12″, which means 8×12 to me. I have it in the oven now in an 8×12 hoping it does not cook over.
The 12″ is for the skillet where you’re cooking the chicken first.
can you suggest a red wine substitute??
Hi Marium,
I would just skip the wine, and add a full cup of the chicken broth. You won’t lose much in the flavor. I just usually add wine to my cooking, because nobody drinks wine at my house, so I have to use it up somehow. 🙂