Chicken Pasta Bake – creamy, cheesy-packed pasta dish with broccoli florets and chicken chunks. This is a family favorite meal that is very simple and delicious to make any day of the week!
Whenever I have no idea on what to have for dinner, I think of chicken pasta. I don’t really know why, but chicken pasta recipes always come first in my mind. Maybe I just love chicken and pasta, but perhaps because they make a filling and hearty dishes that appeal to everyone.
So, tonight, we are going to feast this Chicken Pasta Bake which has been on our regular weekly rotation. Your kids will come begging for seconds and thirds!
What is Pasta Bake?
Pasta bake is a pasta mixed with pretty much any kind of sauce, protein or veggies, all baked in a casserole or oven-safe skillet. A delicious meal that you can pre-assemble in advance and bake on the day of serving. A filling quick-fix to the usual dinner dilemma!
What’s in a Chicken Pasta Bake?
This dish can be a good recipe to clean up what’s left in your fridge. It doesn’t use any complicated or rare ingredients. Got some carrots? Throw them in! Bell peppers? Go for it! Basically, you can add almost anything to this.
Here’s what you need to make this easy pasta recipe:
- Chicken breasts cut into chunks (about 2 cups)
- Uncooked fusilli pasta or any pasta of choice
- Vegetable oil
- Chopped Onion
- Minced garlic
- Fresh thyme
- Butter
- Flour
- Chicken broth
- Milk
- Cajun/Creole seasoning
- Broccoli florets
- Mozzarella cheese
- Salt and Pepper
- Parsley
Can I Use a Different Kind of Pasta?
Definitely! I’m pretty sure you have your own pasta favorites. And I’m glad to say that any kind of pasta will do, some of my options include fusilli, macaroni, ziti, and fettuccine. Though I must admit that fusilli is my favorite. 
What to Serve with Chicken Pasta Bake?
You may already enjoy this pasta bake as it is. But if you want to add more to the table, I often serve this chicken pasta with the following:
- homemade garlic bread
- green beans and bacon
- any simple salad
- sauteed kale
Can I Make Chicken Pasta Ahead of Time?
Yes! Actually, when there’s a special occasion, I usually make it ahead of time. I simply assemble them in a casserole, cover with foil and just place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. So, when it is time to serve, just get out from fridge, let it stand at room temperature for 20 minutes and bake as instructed below.
To Freeze: For freezing this dish, cover it tightly with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 months. You might also need to increase the baking time by 15 minutes.
More Chicken Pasta Recipes For Dinner
Love Pasta? Here’s our Top Pasta Dishes
- Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Bolognese Sauce
- Easy Pasta Salad
- Blackened Shrimp Pasta
- Easy Lasagna
- Easy Baked Ziti
How to Make Chicken Pasta Bake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Season chicken cubes with salt, followed by cajun creole seasoning – salt free. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Heat oil in a large skillet, stir in the chicken, cook the chicken for 3 to 5 minutes, until slightly brown.
Add minced garlic, stir for about a minute, followed by chopped onion and thyme, cook until onions wilted – about 4 more minutes. Remove and set aside.
In a 10 inch oven-safe skillet add butter, as soon as butter melts whisk in flour. Continue whisking until flour is fully mixed with butter, then cook for about a minute. Slowly add chicken broth, a little at the time, followed by the milk, you do not want to mixture to form any lumps, bring to simmer then turn down to medium so it simmers gently and slightly thickens into a cream sauce – about 5-6 minutes. Lightly season with salt and pepper to taste.
Turn off the heat and stir in the pasta, broccoli, and about cup cheese, chicken mixture, creole seasoning – adjust seasonings to liking with salt and pepper. Top with remaining cheese.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 15 minutes or until heated through. Serve warm and garnish with parsley, if desired.
Chicken Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts , cut into chunks(about 2 cups)
- 2 tablespoons (28ml) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons (10g) minced garlic
- 1 medium onion , chopped
- 2 teaspoons (1.6g) fresh thyme
- 3 tablespoons (42g) butter
- 3 tablespoons (30g) flour
- 2 cups (500ml) chicken broth
- ½ cup (120ml) milk
- 2 cups (200g) uncooked Fusilli pasta or any pasta of choice , cook pasta in salted water according to package instructions
- 3-4 cups (213-284g) broccoli florets
- 1 cup (132g) mozzarella cheese , divided
- 1-2 teaspoons (4-8g) cajun/creole seasoning (salt-free)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Season chicken cubes with salt, followed by cajun creole seasoning – salt free. Stir until thoroughly mixed.
- Heat oil in a large skillet, stir in the chicken, cook the chicken for 3 to 5 minutes, until slightly brown.
- Add minced garlic, stir for about a minute, followed by chopped onion and thyme, cook until onions wilted – about 4 more minutes. Then remove and set aside.
- In a 10-inch oven-safe skillet add butter, as soon as butter melts whisk in flour. Continue whisking until flour is fully mixed with butter, then cook for about a minute.
- Slowly add chicken broth, a little at the time, followed by the milk, you do not want to mixture to form any lumps, bring to simmer then turn down to medium so it simmers gently and slightly thickens into a cream sauce - about 5-6 minutes. Lightly season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the pasta, broccoli, and about cup cheese, chicken mixture, creole seasoning - adjust seasonings to liking with salt and pepper. Then top with remaining cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, at 350°F for 15 minutes or until heated through.
- Serve warm and garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.
Tips & Notes:
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Joy Rose de Koster says
I made this recipe using left over shop bought roast chicken. It turned out just great.
Imma says
Oh great to hear that. Thank you so much!
Lykell says
Totally amazing
Imma says
Yay! Thank you so much Lykell:)
Amanda G. says
Hi Imma! We were all sick for a couple days at my house, and today I was feeling better enough to actually make dinner. I was looking for something comforting and not difficult and this was just perfect! I only had penne pasta but it worked just fine. It was just the hot comfort meal we needed after eating just soup and toast for 3 days
ImmaculateBites says
Oh, I hope you guys feel completely fine now! And yess, this recipe will really make you feel alot better. 🙂
Nancy S. says
I made this tonight with turkey meatballs and penne pasta I had on hand. It was very filling and tasty, but next time I make it I will probably double the sauce. My pasta absorbed a lot of it in the oven.
Immaculate Bites says
Thank you, Nancy! Another chicken and pasta that you might enjoy is one of my readers’ faves Cajun Chicken Alfredo. Enjoy! 🙂
Kasiva says
My family really loved it. Easy and quick to make. I used bow tie pasta instead.
imma africanbites says
Thank you for sharing your review. I’m happy that your family loves this. It’s indeed a quick and easy family meal.
Angel says
I loved this recipe. I substituted all of the dairy products with non-dairy alternatives and it came out perfect. Thank you!
ImmaculateBites says
Great ! Thanks so much.
Felicia says
Hi Imma!
I love your recipes, please keep them coming! Just wanted to know if frozen broccoli can be used for this particular recipe?
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks Felicia. Yes you sure can. Be sure to thaw and drain out any excess water . Enjoy!
Katrina says
This was delicious, and it’s a really great base to experiment with. The family loved it. Thank you.
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback.
Prisca John-Ogam says
Did you boil the pasta before mixing it in?
ImmaculateBites says
Yes I did.
Janet Bareiss says
Delicious. I added mango and left out the meat. New favorite
imma africanbites says
What a great add-in! I will be trying that soon.
Joelle says
You are so amazing!!! I loved this recipe and others. I’ve learned so much from you! Thank you!
ImmaculateBites says
Thank you Joelle 🙂 ! I am so glad you loved it. Thanks for stopping by!
Steph says
This was delicious! I used penne for the pasta and it turned out great. I’ll definitely make this again. Thank you for the recipe.
imma africanbites says
Awesome! So glad it turned out well for you. Thank you for letting me know.
Chris says
Thanks for the same recipe three days in a row, but I think once would suffice.
Daphne Smith says
Will be cooking this dish. It’s easy to make.
imma africanbites says
Awesome! Please do let me know how it works for you. Enjoy!