Chicken Penne Casserole
This is my family’s favorite casserole recipe. I make it every week or two and we never tire of it. I like that I can clean my kitchen and then relax while it bakes. It won’t disappoint! —Carmen Vanosch, Vernon, British Columbia
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
Reviews
Made this for my family of picky eaters. I read previous comments as well prior to making. Yes it does take some prep time as people have statdd. Also, scared for it to be "bland" as I knew I'd be leaving out salt to accommodate sodium-restricted family members, I took the advice of doubling up the other spices. I used mozzarella, provalone and parmesan for the cheeses. This was a HUGE hit with everyone and I love that it seems like this recipe could leave room for a lot of little personal tweaks and substitutions if one so chose to implement any. Definitely committing this to the recipe book!
Made as directed. Wonderful flavor. I will definitely make this a regular!
Can this be made the night before and then baked the next day?
This recipe was a success :) I made a few changes- I didn't use red peppers because I had none, instead I threw in a can of those diced green chiles, gave it a nice flavor. Also, added two tablespoons of ricotta in with the sauce. Also, used a tiny bit more chicken than called for and to be honest I could have gone with even more chicken in retrospect! I would easily use 2lbs instead of 1 next time!
I made this but honestly I'm a quick short cut cook . I skipped the cooking the veg part ( added three kinds of sweet peppers , sliced mushrooms ), used half of a whole chicken which I chopped . Didn't have Romano cheese used Parmesan , I also used two generous teaspoons of Italian seasoning (all about substituting right) . I put it in a preheated 400 oven uncovered for 15 mins then turned the oven down to 350 for another 30 ,we loved it I would make it again.
Bland
Loved it, and the aroma in your kitchen will dazzle your senses. Followed to the recipe.
So time consuming! I don't think the outcome was worth the effort. I forgot Romano cheese (which I didn't have anyway) so I sprinkled Parmesan on top which improved the taste. I'm sure the taste would be better had I remembered the Romano, but again lots of time required to make this.
Awesome! My family nearly fought over who would get to take the leftovers to school and work with them, today! (Do yourself a favor ... double the recipe!) Absolutely one of the best pasta dishes I've had, EVER. Prep time takes a bit longer than noted, but worth every minute. Company and special occasion worthy, hands down!
Love the flavors of this dish. As one Vernonite to another, thank you for this recipe!