Name: Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Bake Casserole
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
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

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

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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.

Spinach leaves on top of boiling noodles in a large stockpot on a dark wooden surface

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

Cooked pasta noodles with wilted spinach in a stainless steel bowl on a dark wooden surface

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.

Bite-sized pieces of chicken cooked in a skillet on a dark wooden surface

Add the chicken to the pasta mixture.

Cooked pasta, wilted spinach, and cooked pieces of chicken in a stainless steel bowl on a dark wooden surface

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

Chopped green onion in a large skillet on a dark wooden surface

Stir in the lemon zest and juice.

Chopped green onion in lemon juice cooking in a large skillet on a dark wooden surface

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

Milk, flour, and shredded cheese in a stainless steel bowl on a dark wooden surface

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

Cooked green onions in alfredo sauce boiling in a large skillet on a dark wooden surface

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

Cooked pasta with wilted spinach and sauce in a stainless steel bowl on a dark wooden surface

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

Cooked noodles, wilted spinach, and cooked chicken pieces covered with sauce in a white casserole dish on a dark wooden surface

Cooked noodles with spinach and chicken covered with shredded cheese in a white casserole dish on a dark wooden surface

Bake for about 8-10 minutes.

Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Bake Casserole with a wooden spoon in a white dish on top of a grey placemat on a white surface (vertical)

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

Originally Published On: September 28, 2020