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- 1 package (16 ounces) penne pasta
- 6 cups cubed cooked chicken
- 4 cups 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
- 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).
Reviews forPesto-Chicken Penne Casseroles
My Review
Average Rating
"Like other's said, this is delicious. After reading the reviews and then first trying it, I was a little disappointed. But after several more bites, I realized this is definitely a keeper. I cut this recipe in half, cooked the chicken beforehand, and as another reviewer suggested, used (undrained) petite diced tomatoes instead of crushed. I actually measured out the ounces instead of estimating "oh, this looks like about half a jar of pesto". I was able to get half of this recipe into a 9.5x9.5 dish, but it was near the top. Not sure how anyone could fit half of this in an 8x8. Secondly, a couple minutes before it was to be "done", I turned on the broiler, waited a few minutes, and stuck the dish back in, uncovered. That gave the bread crumb topping a little bit more crunch (not much, but some). For me and my husband, half of this recipe was WAYYYY more than enough. There are a lot of leftovers, but I'm not really upset about that :)
Update: I cut the recipe into 1/4 and that was a good amount for my husband and I, with leftovers for each of us.""This was awesome! Made it for company, and the guys went back for seconds! I baked boneless, skinless chicken thighs (2 lb) plus 2 chicken breast cutlets, and this was just under the 6 cups, and was plenty. After reading other posts, I made minor tweaks. I used Hunts fire roasted tomatoes, undrained, and used crushed Ritz crackers in place of the seasoned bread crumbs. I found that Classico has an 8.1 oz size of Pesto. Made a very full 9X9 plus a very full 8X8 for the freezer."
"Very good. Made several times for potlucks and always asked for recipe and to bring next time."
"Good casserole to feed a family! Once you've cooked the penne, everything else is just mixed together, so it's a very easy dish to make. Would have liked it to be a bit more saucy, so next time will increase the Alfredo and tomatoes. Since I'm not a huge fan of seasoned bread crumbs as a topping, next time I'll try panko bread crumbs tossed with a little parmesan and fresh parsley. The spinach is a nice addition. I like the fact that you can make one and freeze one!"
"My family enjoyed this . I've also used the mexican mix of cheeses they sell at Sams Club and that worked well, too. It was what I had on hand one time."
"Yum Yum Double Yum"
"have made this dish so many times"
