This is an easy chicken pasta casserole recipe that can be made with leftover chicken, rotisserie or pan-fried chicken. It’s a tasty weeknight meal with a quick prep.
To make this chicken and pasta casserole, you will need an oven-proof dish, large enough to hold this meal.
My glass dish has dimensions of 9×7 inch (23×18 cm) and it is 3 inch (7 cm) deep. If you use a larger bakeware, it does not have to be so deep.
How to make chicken casserole with pasta
In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, chicken, sweetcorn, artichokes and the sauce. Make sure to mix everything well so that the seasoning is distributed evenly.
Pour this into a baking dish, cover with cheese and bake until ready!
How long do you bake casserole?
This chicken pasta casserole uses ingredients that are cooked already so all you want is for the cheese to melt and turn golden brown, and the sauce to be bubbling before you take it out.
It takes about 30 minutes to bake mine. Yours can take longer or shorter, depending on your oven, what cheese you use, etc…
Tips for making the best chicken pasta casserole
- Rotisserie or leftover chicken are great and easy options, but breasts or thighs that you have chopped and cooked with a bit of salt and pepper will also work perfectly!
- If you choose to use rotisserie chicken, keep in mind that they are sold seasoned. This means, you might not need to reduce the quantity of salt, just to make sure your chicken pasta bake will not end up way too salty to your liking.
- Instead of basil, you can use oregano or marjoram.
- Canned sweetcorn can be substituted with frozen.
- Artichoke hearts are a delicious addition to this baked chicken dinner, but if you don’t like them or don’t have them on hand, you can omit them.
- You can also use some leftover plain pasta, if you have. If not, cook penne according to package instructions minus 3-4 minutes – this should prevent them from overcooking and breaking completely.
How to reheat a casserole
If you are only going to feed 1 or 2 people, I would use a microwave.
If you want to reheat the whole dish, add a little bit of water in (maybe ¼ cup) and cover it with aluminum foil. Reheat in a preheated oven at 350 Fahrenheit (170 Celsius) until warm through – about 20 minutes.
I also like to throw any leftovers onto a slightly oiled skillet/frying pan, break them and heat them on the stove. At a later stage I also add a splash of water or ketchup (for this chicken pasta casserole) to add some moisture.
Looking for more casserole recipes? Here are some tasty ideas for you:
Chicken Pasta Casserole
Ingredients
- 9 ounces Penne Pasta (250 grams)
- 1 cup Canned Sweetcorn , drained, (180 grams), see note 1
- 2 cups Cooked Chicken , diced, (240 grams), see note 2
- 10 ounces Artichoke Hearts , drained (optional)
- 2 tablespoons Dried Basil
- 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 14 ounces Pureed Tomatoes (400 milliliters), see note 3
- 9 ounces Shredded Cheese (250 grams), see note 4
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit (200° Celsius).
- Cook the pasta according the package instructions minus 3 (or 4) minutes to avoid overcooking them. Drain the water.
- In a large bowl (or the pot), combine together the pasta with sweetcorn, cooked chicken, artichoke hearts, basil, garlic powder, salt, pepper and pureed tomatoes. Mix everything well so that the seasoning is distributed evenly.
- Pour this mixture into a casserole dish (see note 5) and cover with shredded cheese.
- Bake at 400° Fahrenheit (200° Celsius) for 25 minutes or until the cheese is nice golden brown and the juice is bubbling away.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- You can use either canned or frozen sweetcorn.
- All kinds of chicken will work here – rotisserie chicken, meal-prep, leftovers or cooked (thighs or breast).
- Instead of dried basil, you can use dried oregano or marjoram.
- I used cheddar, but if you prefer to use other type of cheese, feel free to do it.
- The dimensions of the oven-proof dish I used were: 9×7 inch (23×18 centimeters). This dish was 3 inch (7 cm) deep.
- The post above this recipe card contains more tips and FAQ’s, if needed.
Cate says
Yummm this looks so delicious and comforting! Definitely saving this for make soon!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Enjoy!
Bintu says
What a great way to use leftover chicken – this is definitely a dish my family would love.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thanks, Bintu!
veena says
Like the left over options. Looks delicious and best dinner too.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thanks!
Jennifer says
I just made this for lunch, and it was so good! I had everything on hand except for the artichoke hearts, and while I love artichoke and think it will be even more yummy with them, it was really tasty! The sweet corn really gave it a nice sweetness to go with the savory. This was the perfect pantry meal for me to cook with what I have while things are still hard to find.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thanks for your feedback, Jennifer!
Emily Liao says
This casserole is so hearty and delicious! Everyone loved it and was perfect for leftovers.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
That’s great to hear Emily!