Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Bake Casserole

Combine a bunch of basic ingredients to make chicken and spinach alfredo bake with ingredients that are often found in the kitchen.

I love alfredo sauce. Especially my homemade sauce. But it’s even better when I can use it in a variety of ways to make new meals. This was a meal that we came up with during the COVID19 pandemic. We were trying to limit visits to grocery stores which meant a lot of “pantry week” meals.

One of those times, I was looking at all the food we had. What needed to be used first? We almost always have some chicken in the freezer. And there was spinach in the refrigerator that was going to go bad soon. I tend to have half-full boxes of pasta in the pantry a lot. The boys don’t eat a lot of pasta, so it leaves me with bits here and there.

So, put all that together with some of the cheese we had and we have the ingredients for chicken and spinach alfredo! I decided it needed to be in a casserole to make it easier. Plus, there was a lot of it.

Step by Step

Preheat the oven to 400F. In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook for about 6 minutes then add the spinach.

Cook for 2 minutes, until the spinach is wilted. Drain and place the pasta and spinach mixture in a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle with the salt and pepper then add to the pan. Cook for about 8 minutes. Or until the chicken is cooked through.

Add the chicken to the pasta mixture.

Lower the heat to medium and place the green onion in the warm pan. Cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in the lemon zest and juice.

Combine the milk, flour, and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese in a bowl.

Add the milk mixture to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.

Add the milk mixture to the pasta mixture and toss to coat.

Spoon the pasta mixture into a casserole dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and panko.

Bake for about 8-10 minutes.

Leftovers

Cover any leftover chicken and spinach alfredo bake in the casserole dish or move to a container. Refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, place back in the oven for about 5 minutes, until heated through. Or you can add a small amount of milk and warm it in a saucepan over medium heat.

Recipe

Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Bake Casserole

Combine a bunch of basic ingredients to make chicken and spinach alfredo bake with ingredients that are often found in the kitchen.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Course:

Main Dish

Cuisine:

American

Keyword:

alfredo sauce

|

casserole

|

chicken

|

spinach

Dietary Needs:

Egg-Free

|

Nut-Free

Meat:

Chicken/Turkey

Servings: 6 cups

5 from 16 votes

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 6 oz penne pasta (uncooked)
• 2 oz spinach (chopped)
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb chicken breast (boneless, skinless)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)
• 6 green onions (chopped)
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
• 1 1/2 tbsp panko

Recommended Equipment

• Saucepan – Medium
• Skillet
• Mixing Bowls – Stainless Steel
• Casserole Dish

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400F
• In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil and add the pasta
• Cook for about 6 minutes then add the spinach
• Cook for 2 minutes, until the spinach is wilted
• Drain and place the pasta and spinach mixture in a large mixing bowl
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat
• Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle with the salt and pepper then add to the pan
• Cook for about 8 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through
• Add the chicken to the pasta mixture
• Lower the heat to medium and place the green onion in the warm pan
• Cook for 2 minutes
• Stir in the lemon zest and juice
• Combine the milk, flour, and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese in a bowl
• Add the milk mixture to the pan and bring to a boil
• Cook for 2 minutes or until the sauce has thickened
• Add the milk mixture to the pasta mixture and toss to coat
• Spoon the pasta mixture into a casserole dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and panko
• Bake for about 8-10 minutes, until the panko starts to brown and cheese is melted

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Nutrition Facts

Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Bake Casserole

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 345 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 5g25%

Cholesterol 66mg22%

Sodium 416mg17%

Potassium 544mg16%

Carbohydrates 31g10%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 27g54%

Vitamin A 1257IU25%

Vitamin C 7mg8%

Calcium 249mg25%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

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