Chicken Pasta Bake

Chicken pasta bake with bacon is a creamy casserole prepared in just 30 minutes, making one of those easy dinner ideas for busy weeknight days!

A Creamy Chicken Pasta Bake with Bacon is what's on the table... and we can't get enough of it!

It is comforting, cheesy, yummy, and ready to serve within 30 minutes.

Moreover, It is one of those all-in-one dishes that can please a crowd while making life easy for the cook. Basically just our kind of a weeknight meal, right?! 😉

Our recipe calls for simple ingredients such as store-bought linguine pasta mixed with a creamy cheese sauce, shredded chicken, chopped bacon, and canned diced tomatoes...

...and of course, extra cheese was sprinkled on top right before putting the pasta in the oven to bake for about 10 minutes (just until the cheese melted).

Fresh basil, oregano, and grape tomatoes garnished the dish nicely... while smiles floated all around the table. It was a vision!

Yes, my family and I ate this chicken bacon and pasta bake... and came for seconds. This thing is already on our must-repeat list!

It is exactly what I needed after a full day of work... but with dinner still yet to prepare for all those hungry bellies. A girl's gotta do what she gotta do -- pull a dish like this from up her sleeve and make everyone happy. 🙂

But don't just take my word -- make this bacon chicken pasta bake and then you will fully understand why we are so in love with it.

An extra something will make it even more special: pair it with a glass of red wine! 😉

After all, who needs a special occasion to feast like a king (or queen), right?

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here are the ingredients need to make our easy chicken pasta bake:

• 16 oz linguine pasta, or other pasta of your choice (Flat Long Noodles Like linguine, fettuccine, tagliatelle, and pappardelle make great options for this creamy pasta bake because the surface area of the pasta's flat shape can stand up against the heft of rich, creamy sauces. Tubular pasta like penne and ziti are other good choices!).
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
• ½ white or yellow onion diced
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 strips of cooked bacon, chopped
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups of half and half (You may use whole milk instead but the sauce won't be as creamy and velvety)
• 1 cup chicken broth or stock
• 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (you may add a teaspoon of Italian seasoning if you want)
• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 ½ cups cooked leftover chicken, shredded such as rotisserie chicken or baked chicken breast
• 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese (or any melting cheese of your choice)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• Fresh basil leaves, optional
• Fresh oregano leaves, optional (You can replace these fresh herbs with chopped fresh parsley) 

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN PASTA BAKE

In order to make this chicken and bacon creamy pasta bake, follow these easy steps below:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C.
2. Cook and drain the pasta according to the directions in the package and set aside.
3. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large and heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes until translucent. Do not let brown! Add the garlic powder, and chopped bacon, and let cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute. Add the flour and stir to combine, then cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Add the half and half, broth/stock, salt, and pepper. Whisk for 1 minute, in small circles around the frying pan, until it starts to thicken. Then add the diced tomatoes. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, for around 5 minutes or until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
5. Add the chicken, cooked pasta, and cheddar cheese and mix through. Let it cook for around 1 minute on the stove, then remove from heat.
6. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 8 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 2 minutes.
7. Serve while it is still hot, garnished with fresh basil leaves and oregano. This chicken pasta bake can also be served with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese and fresh grape tomatoes on top. If you would like to, sprinkle on a few red pepper flakes, too.

Tips for Making Chicken Pasta Casserole

• Make your sauce while your pasta is boiling.
• Make sure to cook the pasta al dente and drain well!
• Use canned diced tomatoes to save you some time chopping them, but drain them well; otherwise, your sauce will become watery!
• If you prefer to cook your bacon instead of buying the pre-cooked one, skip the butter in this chicken bacon pasta recipe and use the bacon fat to saute the onion.

Variations

• Pasta: Any long flat noodles or tubular pasta do well enough to hold the creamy sauce.
• Cheese: Replace cheddar and mozzarella for any melting cheese of your choices such as pepper jack, colb­y, Monterey jack, or smoked gouda.
• Meat: You may replace chicken with leftover turkey from your Thanksgiving dinner and use cooked Italian sausage instead of bacon.
• Veggies: You can add more veggies to our chicken pasta bake such as one cup of cooked brocco­lis, pea­s, mushrooms, or asparagus).
• Sauce: Depending on the ingredients you use to replace a few in our recipe, you can make buffalo chicken pasta bake or chicken alfredo pasta bake instead.

FAQ'S

Can I make this pasta bake ahead of time?

Yes, you can! However, after assembling it,  don't bake it! Cover the casserole and refrigerate until ready to bake. Make sure to increase the baking time by 10-15 minutes.

Can I freeze this casserole?

I wouldn't recommend it! First, because the pasta will absorb most of the sauce, making our chicken pasta bake a little dry or less saucy. Seconds, because it contains dairy (half-and-half) and once the casserole is thawed, the sauce can separate.

What type of pasta is best for this chicken pasta bake recipe?

I used long flat noodles such as linguine, but you can use others such as fettuccine or tubular pasta such as penne or ziti.

Whatever pasta you decide to use, make sure it holds the creamy sauce well. If you are thinking of spaghetti, please don't. They will stand up well against the creamy cheese sauce because they are too thin and will get soggy. 

Do you need to boil the pasta first?

Yes, but cook it just until almost al dente. Remember it will continue to cook in the oven! 

Can you use another sauce for this chicken pasta bake?

Yes, you can! Buffalo and Alfredo will make a great variation! 

How many calories are in this chicken bacon pasta?

This chicken pasta bake has 429 calories per serving. If you'd like to cut down on the calorie count, you can swap half-and-half for whole milk, flour for xanthan gum (about ½ tsp), and skip the bacon or use turkey bacon. For making it wholesome, use whole wheat pasta!

STORAGE

Store chicken pasta bake leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Although not recommended, you can freeze for up to one month. 

OTHER PASTA RECIPES:

• Cheeseburger pasta
• Kale pasta salad
• Homemade bow tie pasta recipe
• Kale pesto pasta
• Gigi Hadid pasta (Spicy vodka pasta)
• One pot sausage pasta
• Mediterranean pasta
• Garlic parmesan pasta recipe
• One pot pasta
• Easy Gnocchi Recipe

PIN & ENJOY!

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4.05 from 20 votes

Chicken Pasta Bake

Chicken pasta bake with bacon is a creamy casserole prepared in just 30 minutes, making an easy dinner idea for busy weeknight days!

Course:Main Course

Cuisine:American

Keywords:bacon, casserole, chicken, chicken bacon pasta, chicken pasta bake, pasta, quick recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 8 people

Calories558.7 kcal

Author Denise Browning

Cost $ 1.50 per person

Equipment

• 1 oven
• 1 cast iron skillet
• 1 whisk

Ingredients

• 16 oz linguine pasta or other pasta of your choice (Flat Long Noodles Like linguine, fettuccine, tagliatelle, and pappardelle make great options for this creamy pasta bake because the surface area of the pasta's flat shape can stand up against the heft of rich, creamy sauces. Tubular pasta like penne and ziti are other good choices!).
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
• ½ white or yellow onion diced
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 strips cooked bacon chopped
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups of half and half (You may use whole milk instead but the sauce won't be as creamy and velvety)
• 1 cup chicken broth or stock
• 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (you may add a teaspoon of Italian seasoning if you want)
• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes drained
• 1 ½ cups cooked leftover chicken shredded such as rotisserie chicken or baked chicken breast
• 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese (or any melting cheese of your choice)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• Fresh basil leaves optional
• Fresh oregano leaves optional (You can replace these fresh herbs with chopped fresh parsley)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C.
• Cook and drain the pasta according to the directions in the package and set aside.
• While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large and heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes until translucent. Do not let brown! Add the garlic powder, and chopped bacon, and let cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute. Add the flour and stir to combine, then cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add the half and half, broth/stock, salt, and pepper. Whisk for 1 minute, in small circles around the frying pan, until it starts to thicken. Then add the diced tomatoes. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, for around 5 minutes or until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
• Add the chicken, cooked pasta, and cheddar cheese and mix through. Let it cook for around 1 minute on the stove, then remove from heat.
• Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 8 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 2 minutes.
• Serve while it is still hot, garnished with fresh basil leaves and oregano. This chicken pasta bake can also be served with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese and fresh grape tomatoes on top. If you would like to, sprinkle on a few red pepper flakes, too.

Recipe Notes

STORAGE

Store chicken pasta bake leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Although not recommended, you can freeze it for up to one month.

Nutrition

Calories: 558.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 52.3g | Protein: 24.8g | Fat: 27.6g | Saturated Fat: 15.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7.6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 93.2mg | Sodium: 751.7mg | Potassium: 394.3mg | Fiber: 2.4g | Sugar: 5.4g | Vitamin A: 761.5IU | Vitamin C: 3.8mg | Calcium: 267.2mg | Iron: 1.8mg

** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.

Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.

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Post first published on July 25, 2016.