Pesto-Chicken Penne Casseroles Recipe

Pesto-Chicken Penne Casseroles Recipe Pesto-Chicken Penne Casseroles Recipe photo by Taste of Home Rating 5

Creamy, flavorful and so easy to fix, this meal-in-one will wow family and friends. Get ready for recipe requests for this easy chicken casserole! —Laura Kayser, Ankeny, Iowa

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Pesto-Chicken Penne Casseroles Recipe
  • Prep: 20 min. Bake: 40 min.
  • Yield: 12 Servings
20 40 60

Ingredients

  • 1 package (16 ounces) penne pasta
  • 6 cups cubed cooked chicken
  • 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Italian cheese blend
  • 3 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 jar (15 ounces) Alfredo sauce
  • 1-1/2 cups 2% milk
  • 1 jar (8.1 ounces) prepared pesto
  • 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

  • Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chicken, cheese blend, spinach, tomatoes, Alfredo sauce, milk and pesto. Drain pasta and add to chicken mixture; toss to coat.
  • Transfer to two greased 8-in. square baking dishes. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and oil; sprinkle over casseroles.
  • Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly.
  • To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until bubbly. Yield: 2 casseroles (6 servings each).

Nutritional Facts 1-1/3 cups equals 612 calories, 30 g fat (13 g saturated fat), 111 mg cholesterol, 829 mg sodium, 41 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 42 g protein.

Originally published as Pesto-Chicken Penne Casseroles in Simple & Delicious May 2010, p59

Full-Bodied White Wine

Enjoy this recipe with a full-bodied white wine such as Chardonnay or Viognier.

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Reviews for Pesto-Chicken Penne Casseroles

Pesto-Chicken Penne Casseroles Recipe

Pesto-Chicken Penne Casseroles

Tell us what you think of this recipe.
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(21-30) of 45 reviews

Reviewed on Aug. 31, 2011 by oliv2646

I made this dish for a group of 60, and I got rave reviews! It did require some time, and I had help, but I will definitely make this again for my family soon.

Reviewed on Aug. 09, 2011 by ABRFosterMom

While time consuming, this was so worth it. I used homemade Alfredo sauce and home made pesto. I made this just as stated, except I added maybe 1tsp or so of fresh ground black pepper. This is definitely a company-worthy dish. I so admire people who dream up recipes like this! This is outstanding!!!! WOW!!

Reviewed on Jul. 06, 2011 by megantaylor

very easy to make

Reviewed on Jun. 26, 2011 by ssmith604

This casserole is just as good from the freezer and is excellent for potlucks!

Reviewed on May. 30, 2011 by jessicadarracott

This recipe is perfect just the way it is, although my husband prefers it with more spinach added. A little extra cheese doesn't hurt either. We can't go more than 2 weeks without making this one! Totally addicting.

Reviewed on May. 01, 2011 by millsapm

Very good, the 2nd one may have even been better... guess the flavors had a chance to meld more? Anyhow, served to the fam while in-laws were visiting and got compliments from everyone!

Reviewed on Apr. 06, 2011 by lynnincanadian

This dish has affectionately became known as "that stuff". There are never any leftovers

Reviewed on Apr. 05, 2011 by Summerjean22

This was so amazing!! My husband and I think it tastes just like Macaroni Grill's penne Rustica! The only thing I did different is saute some fresh garlic in some olive oil and then mixed in the alfredo. Again AMAZING!!!

Reviewed on Mar. 23, 2011 by scrapo

Great. Although next time I think I would try to make my own pesto to use and alfredo sauce. I accidentally forgot to buy the tomatoes at the store so I just chopped up some fresh tomatoes & red pepper, roasted them in the oven and added them. I also used a rotiserre chix to save on time. Used a mix of whole wheat and white pasta.

Reviewed on Feb. 11, 2011 by jonesy85

This was amazing , everyone in the family loved it and I loved that it made extra to freeze..Will make it again..

 
 

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