This is a baked casserole made from pasta nests (no precooking required) filled with a mixture of two cheeses, peas, and chicken, layered on a pool of tomato sauce. Oh, this was a big-time hit! The last of our Chicken Casserole Nests had barely been served when my little ones were already asking me to make it again. I am a happy Mom… After all, it is not every day that such approval comes this quickly. To prepare these Chicken Casserole Nests and other chicken dishes (e.g. Chicken Stroganoff, Grilled Chicken Legs Wrapped in Bacon, Grandma’s Chicken Soup, and Brazilian Saffron Rice with Chicken, among others), I trust and use Tyson® Fresh Chicken. Why? 
Tyson Fresh Chicken is all natural* — with no added hormones or steroids** — and arrives at local stores fresh because it is delivered within days from leaving the farm. Tyson Fresh Chicken also makes my life easier since its Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Tenderloins, and Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs are all hand-trimmed. I also enjoy their helpful tools and resources to make meal planning easy for me and my family. For this reason, I browse Tyson Fresh Chicken’s family-friendly recipes HERE. It is totally handy! As you can see, how could I help but trust Tyson Foods — a company that is wholesome and family-friendly? It’s made up of real people like you and me – moms, dads, wives, husbands, neighbors, and friends. For over 75 years, Tyson has been bringing families together. Every day they strive to make food that they can feel good about serving to their own families. In this way, consumers can feel good about serving it to theirs. What do you think? Enjoy this ultimate family favorite — Chicken Casserole Nests — and many other chicken dishes of mine and from Tyson!!! 
JOIN THE CONVERSATION: Is chicken the most commonly served meat at your household? What’s your family’s favorite chicken dish? Leave a comment with your answer below and you’ll be entered for a chance to win a fun gift basket with kitchen gadgets and goodies.
Chicken Casserole Nests
Ingredients
- For the sauce:
- 5 cups of your favorite store-bought tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ¼ cup white wine optional
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves or 1-2 teaspoons of dried
- For the pasta nests:
- 8 fettuccine nests uncooked (pick the nests that have a wider opening in the center)
- 1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat provolone or mild cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup frozen peas
- 1/2 pound Tyson Trimmed and Ready Chicken Breast Tenderloin 8 ounces
- 1 pinch salt and ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (about 180 degrees C).
- Prepare the sauce: In a medium stainless steel saucepan, mix together all ingredients until combined and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Pour into a large Pyrex or casserole dish, and set aside.
- For the pasta nests: Arrange uncooked pasta nests on top of the hot tomato sauce, keeping each a bit of a distance from the others. Using a spoon, ladle some of the hot tomato sauce over each nest to moisten. In a medium bowl, mix together the cheeses and peas, and set aside.
- Pat dry the chicken with paper towels and cut into small pieces. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. In a medium non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and brown the chicken (about 2-3 minutes). Mix into the cheese-pea mixture. Spoon cheese-chicken mixture into the raw pasta nests. Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil (If necessary, grease the interior of the sheet with non-stick cooking spray in order to avoid the cheeses sticking to the foil). Bake for about 40-45 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top of the pasta nests if desired. Serve chicken casserole nests hot (2 nests per person). A fresh salad or steamed vegetables, if desired, can accompany chicken casserole nests. Enjoy our chicken casserole nests!!!
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Little Cooking Tips says
Loved the fact that you only used the moisture from the sauce to cook the pasta. Easy, simple, delicious dish! Perfect work Denise.
Loved your photos as well!
xo
Panos and Mirella
Denise Browning says
Thanks to both of you! This is a real simple dish that pleases both adult and children. The best part is pasta doesn’t have to be precooked.
John@Kitchen Riffs says
Who doesn’t like pasta? Or chicken? Love the idea of the little nests — cute dish! And this looks really flavorful too. Good stuff — thanks.
Denise Browning says
Hey, John! I am so glad that you enjoyed this dish. Pasta and chicken is kind of universal. I think many people would enjoy it…
Lail | With A Spin says
Chicken is served most in my family too. Love this chicken casserole nests. Cute and refreshing flavors. Great job, mama!
Denise Browning says
Thank you, Lail! My family was quite happy to have this for lunch/dinner!!!
Juliana says
Oh Denise, these chicken nest using pasta are so cute…and they sure look delicious!
Thanks for the inspiration dear…hope you are having a fabulous week 😀
Denise Browning says
Enjoy it, my dear… Likewise. Take care!!!
Liz says
What a delicious chicken casserole! I love the noodle nests, too…such a fun idea!
Denise Browning says
Thank you, Liz!!!!
My children thought these nests were cute too. This was one of my ways to make them eat tomato sauce with pasta — which they usually don’t. Chicken is something that they really enjoy a lot!
heather says
My favorite chicken recipe is shake and bake the garlic parm one. I know it’s nothing fancy but it is good and quick.
Denise Browning says
Your dish sounds wonderful, Heather!
As a Mom, I struggle to serve meals to my family. There are those dishes that are part of our table more often… They are quite handy and my family really enjoy them. There are others which are great to make because they help us diversify the menu. This is one of those dishes!!
My family enjoyed this so much that I already intend to make it again – and maybe again! 🙂
Thanks a lot for stopping by. Have an awesome day!
SallyBR says
Love the use of uncooked nests… brilliant, my friend… brilliant!
looks so good, this would be awesome for a dinner party even!
Denise Browning says
Thank you, Sally! My family ( both adults and children) approved this dish. Unanimity doesn’t happen often. 🙂 Enjoy!!!
Kathleen says
Love this idea! I’m always looking for creative new ways to use chicken in a recipe. You nailed it!
Denise Browning says
Hi, Kathleen! Thank you… I think pasta and chicken are universal and available everywhere. This is a dish that I can prepare quickly (the pasta don’t need to be precooked) because the oven do most of the work. It is something that a busy Mom would cook easily and children would enjoy it a lot.
Andrea de Oliveira says
We love chicken as well!! It’s so versatile and usually inexpensive. I will have to try this recipe soon!! Thanks for Sharing 🙂
Denise Browning says
Thank you, Andrea, for stopping by. This is a simple dish yet tasty… and most children love this! It is basically chicken and pasta.
Deb says
An easy to prepare dinner with lots of flavor makes the week so much smoother! The pasta nests are just too adorable and look so much better than a scoop of casserole!
Denise Browning says
Thank you, Deb! It is not an usual casserole yet hearty. I hope many have the chance to try it.
Immaculate says
My family’s favorite chicken is crispy baked chicken – We all love crispy chicken skin. I love the idea of a nest -Makes for individualized portions.
Denise Browning says
Thanks, Immaculate! I would love to try your crispy baked chicken.
Gloria R. says
To be honest, I have many favorite chicken dishes but I guess to narrow it down, I have to pick two. One is Chicken with Fresh Herbs and Creamy Lemon Sauce. The other is A Sweet and Sour Chicken with Pineapple and Peppers. They are different enough to satisfy the hungriest family. 🙂
Denise Browning says
Thanks a lot, Gloria!!!! The chicken with creamy lemon sauce made my mouth water…
marcela says
oh! this look so insane! I love chicken! I have to try it out!
Denise Browning says
I hope you do, Marcela!!! You won’t regret it…
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
Not only does that sound delicious, it’s beautful to look at!
Denise Browning says
Maureen: Thank you!
Natalie says
We serve chicken all the time and my favorite chicken dish is cracker crusted baked chicken with rice.
Denise Browning says
Natalie: I have to try to crust my chicken with crackers next time. I have never tried it!!!
Natalie says
I tweeted with twitter id @yarbr012 : https://twitter.com/yarbr012/status/505520292048158720.
Denise Browning says
Thank you so much, Natalie!!! Good luck!
Sugar et al. says
Such an amazing idea with chicken and pasta. Kids will love this. Chicken is the main meat in our family too. I mostly make curries with it but I will be making your dish soon. It sounds so delicious!
Denise Browning says
Sonali: Thanks a lot! I am crazy for curries. I ate one yesterday. If you try this recipe, you won’t regret it. xx
Francesca says
Chicken is definitely the main meat around here. Sounds pretty un-unique, but its just so cheap + versatile, we see it several times a week here. And pasttttaaa.
Clever mix here! Looks delicious!
Denise Browning says
Thanks… I agree with you, Francesca!
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch) says
I love this meal idea! And the fact that the pasta is not pre-cooked. I just started an Easy Weeknight Meal board on Pinterest … pinned! Thanks for sharing and glad to know that Tyson is hormone free. I assumed that not to be the case.
Denise Browning says
Hi, Lea Ann! Thanks for stopping by.
Federal regulations prohibit the use of added hormones or steroids in chicken.
Thanks for sharing this dish on your board!!! I do appreciate it and I hope you try this at home. 🙂
Raymund says
Nice and simple Denise, good recipe for a busy weekend
Denise Browning says
Thank you, Raymund!!!! It is for both a busy week and weekend — or just to eat something healthy and delicious yet easy.
nicole says
Yes we make a lot of chicken dishes in our house, our family’s favorite chicken dish though is BBQ chicken on the grill.
Denise Browning says
It sounds so delish, Nicole!!!! Thanks a lot for stopping by.
nicole says
Posted to twitter page here –
Denise Browning says
Thank you so much for sharing it on Twitter and let me know. Good luck!!!
D Schmidt says
Our favorite is definitely sweet and sour chicken stir fry!
Denise Browning says
My hubby enjoy it a lot too. Thanks for stopping by!
D Schmidt says
Tweeted for a second entry https://twitter.com/mummytotwoboys1/status/509510590771896320
Denise Browning says
Thank you for sharing it and letting me know as well, D.
Kathy says
Right now it is just grilled chicken on the gas grill
Denise Browning says
A great, healthy chicken dish though!!!
Kathy says
https://twitter.com/mkjmc/status/509764433363886080
Denise Browning says
Thank you!
One Frugal Girl says
We eat chicken a lot at my house! I love a chicken fajita recipe I gathered from the food network years ago!
Denise Browning says
We also eat a lot of chicken fajitas.
One Frugal Girl says
https://twitter.com/OneFrugalGirl/status/512710871705853956
Denise Browning says
Thank you for sharing it!
Ashley H says
We love chicken parm.
Denise Browning says
Me too, Ashley!!!!
Anne says
Chicken is indeed the most-often served meat in our house. It’s affordable and delicious, with so many different ways to prepare it that it doesn’t get boring. My favorite way to use chicken is to start with a roast, then use the leftovers for meals like shredded-chicken burritos.
Your Chicken Casserole Nests are cute and clever, and I’ve pinned it for future reference. Thanks!
Denise Browning says
Hi, Anne! Thank you very much for both stopping by and sharing it.
Leftovers are great to prepare many dishes indeed. I also love to use mine. Have a great day!!!
Anne says
I shared your pretty casserole and this fun Tyson promotion on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/NotherAnneOther/status/515167334827565057
Denise Browning says
Thank you!!!
Erika says
We love barbecue chicken sandwiches.
Denise Browning says
Thanks a lot for sharing your favorite dish with us, Erika!
Deb Anderson says
Chicken parmigiana – they ask for it all the time. 🙂
Denise Browning says
I bet so, Deb! It is a great, comforting dish.
Angel Jacklyn says
BEEF- WE EAT A LOT OF HAMBURGERS AND SPEGETTI & MEATBALLS AROUND HERE! =) =)
Denise Browning says
I used to eat a lot of beef down in Brazil but since I got in the US, I have consumed more chicken than beef. As I get older, red meat is not that easy to digest anymore. 🙂
Thanks a lot for sharing this dish on twitter.
Have a wonderful weekend!!!
Angel Jacklyn says
https://twitter.com/kytah00/status/517859992314314752
Annie Martin says
i was looking for new and easy recipes for the kiddos and knew I would find it here :). Brilliant idea friend! Will be making this tomorrow :).
Chicken and fish are what we serve most. Chicken stroganoff and chicken empanadas are requested the most
Denise Browning says
Annie:
Thank you! Enjoy this easy and tasty recipe.
My husband loves chicken stroganoff. Actually, we have one in the blog and it is one of the most popular of all times. We also loves empanadas and have a recipe for baked pizza empanadas and quick fried beef empanadas.
I imagine how happy your kids are when you make those dishes that you described.
Have a great weekend!
Susan Smith says
My favorite chicken dish is Blackened Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Denise Browning says
Susan: Your dish sounds quite yummy. I love anything Alfredo.
Susan Smith says
https://twitter.com/susan1215/status/518223780007931904
Denise Browning says
Thanks for sharing it, Susan!
Margot C says
Oh yes, chicken is most definitely the most served meat ingredient in our house. I roast whole chickens, astute chicken breasts and slow cook chicken tenders (my curry is legendary) all of the time.
Denise Browning says
Yes…I am crazy for curries. Thanks for stopping by.
Margot C says
I posted a tweet too: https://twitter.com/AnnaZed/status/518465595461754882
gay smith says
Chicken is the most common meat served in my home because it’s so versatile. My favorite chicken dishes are chicken and dumplings, and chicken pot pie.
Denise Browning says
Thanks a lot for sharing your favorite chicken dishes. I love dumplings too!!!! Have a great day…
Janice Cooper says
Yes we love chicken and have it at least 1x a week. Our favorite chicken dish is grilled barbecue chicken
Denise Browning says
It sounds quite delicious, Janice!!!
Janice Cooper says
https://twitter.com/disneyfan40/status/521451663022768129
Denise Browning says
Thanks for sharing it!
Kerry says
We do eat a lot of chicken! I have a chicken and dumpling recipe for the slow cooker that is my family’s favorite!
Denise Browning says
That’s great, Kerry!
Kerry says
tweeted: https://twitter.com/KerryBishop/status/523984903998685186
Erica Best says
i love bbq chicken in slow cooker
Denise Browning says
Hi, Erica! Thanks for stopping by and sharing with us your favorite chicken dish. It sounds delicious!!!
Erica Best says
https://twitter.com/purplelover04/status/525771110529634304
Sonya Morris says
The Chicken Casserole Nest is a great idea and would be a hit with my kids! I don’t cook a lot of chicken and we usually have a lot of meat free nights since my husband works late. My family’s favorite way for me to cook chicken is roasting a whole chicken in the oven after smothering it with butter, salt pepper, and stuffing it with rosemary and garlic. This doesn’t happen very often at my house but when it does it is amazing!
Denise Browning says
Your dish sounds very appetizing, Sonya! Thanks for sharing this post on twitter. Good luck!
Sonya Morris says
Link to tweet:
https://twitter.com/catholicfanatic/status/525842739200393217
Thank you and thanks for one of my next ideas for a chicken dinners!
Sarah L says
My favorite chicken recipe is stir fry. I eat a lot of fish.
Thanks for the contest.
Denise Browning says
Thank you for participating… Good luck!
Sarah L says
https://twitter.com/slehan/status/526246057135452160
Annette says
Chicken is the most often-served meat in my house. My favorite way to eat it is baked. I use the leftovers to eat with salads and homemade dressing.
Denise Browning says
Leftovers are the best… They allow us to use them in several new dishes. Good luck and thanks for stopping by.
Annette says
Here’s my tweet https://twitter.com/ThatTuxedoCat/status/526409524052107264
I love your idea of the nests; the recipe looks simple, delicious, and attractive.
Denise Browning says
Thank you!!!!
Betty C says
This is such a cute way to present what could be an ordinary meal. Great idea.
We enjoy chicken fried rice or stir fry in the summer when we don’t want to heat up the kitchen.
Denise Browning says
Thank you, Betty! Fried rice is an excellent, quick dish ideal to prevent heating up the kitchen. Good luck!!!
Betty C says
Tweet – https://twitter.com/willitara/status/526480933952950272
Kathy says
This looks delicious! The way your Chicken Cassrole Nests are presented looks kind of romantic, too; a perfect meal for a special occasion.
Italian is my all-time favorite style of cooking–and chicken is the entree I prepare the most. Though I haven’t tried the fresh Tyson chicken (haven’t seen it in my grocery store, but I will ask about it), I buy their frozen chicken breasts and tenders all the time.
My favorite chicken dish is Chicken Cacciatore.
Sandra Martindale says
Fail. The pasta did not get done in this recipe after 45 minutes. Waste of time and ingredients. I should have trusted my instinct on this one. Looking back at comments, I can’t see where anyone actually made this. Cook the pasta in boiling water first for probably 3 minutes and it might work
Denise Browning says
Sandra, have you followed the recipe strictly? The hot sauce poured over the pasta plus the steam of the tightly covered baking pan should be enough to cook the pasta al dente. The size of the baking dish versus the amount of pasta also influece to succeed or fail. I was clear asking to place pasta nests distant from each other to permit steam circulate. Mine succeed. I am sorry yours did not.
beejay says
Where do you get your nests? I’ve only found vermicelli-size fideo. Can they be found online?
Love the idea of this recipe, going into my “to cook”:…(Wat? This time it let me use quotes?!?!?!?) folder. Thanks!
Denise Browning says
Hi, Beejay! I bought this nest pasta in Walmart. Please, make sure to put enough sauce and also to cover tightly the baking pan so the steam can cook the pasta. Enjoy!