Dinner Ideas Weekly
Creamy Chicken Pasta Bake in 45 Minutes
Macaroni and shredded chicken in a creamy cheddar sauce with sweet corn and carrot, baked until the top is golden and bubbling. Feeds 6 in 45 minutes.
This creamy chicken pasta bake gets you tender macaroni, shredded chicken and a browned cheddar crust you can cut into neat squares, with about 15 minutes of hands-on work. Corn and grated carrot add sweetness and color without any extra chopping.
This version holds together because of the sauce: a simple flour-thickened milk sauce (a béchamel), plus a little broth so it stays loose enough for the pasta to keep absorbing it in the oven. Cooked chicken keeps it quick. Rotisserie works, and so do leftovers. It takes 45 minutes from start to finish.
Why this recipe works
The pasta comes out of the pot 2 minutes before al dente. It finishes cooking in the oven by soaking up sauce, so it ends tender, not mushy.
The sauce is made a bit thinner than you'd want on the plate. It looks too loose going into the dish, and that's correct, because the macaroni drinks up about a third of it while it bakes. A thick sauce at this stage is what gives you a dry, stodgy bake.
The cheese goes in two places. Half melts into the sauce for flavor. The other half goes on top, where a 2-minute broil turns it into the browned, slightly crisp crust you see in the photo.
Ingredient notes
Chicken: a store-bought rotisserie chicken gives you about 3 to 4 cups of meat, which is all you need. If you're starting from raw chicken, simmer 1 1/4 lb boneless breasts or thighs in salted water for 15 to 18 minutes, until they read 165°F in the thickest part, then shred them. I like thighs here because they stay juicy through a second round of cooking.
Pasta: elbow macaroni, cavatappi or penne all work. Short tube shapes trap the sauce. Skip long pasta and thin shapes like orzo, which turn soft in the oven.
Cheese: buy sharp cheddar in a block and grate it yourself. Pre-shredded bags have an anti-caking coating that can make the sauce grainy. Mozzarella on top adds stretch and browns well.
Milk: whole milk makes the creamiest sauce. 2% works but comes out a little thinner. Avoid skim, which can break when baked.
How to make chicken pasta bake
Start the pasta water first. While it heats, melt butter in a large skillet and soften the onion, then stir in flour and cook it for a full minute so the sauce won't taste floury. Add the milk and broth slowly while you whisk and keep stirring until it thickens enough to coat a spoon. That takes 4 to 6 minutes once it simmers.
Take the pan off the heat before you add the cheese. Cheese stirred into boiling sauce can turn stringy or oily. Fold in the drained pasta, chicken, corn and carrot, spread it all in the dish, top with cheese and bake. It's done when the edges bubble and the center reaches 165°F. A short broil at the end browns the top.
Common mistakes (and how to fix them)
Dry bake: the pasta was cooked fully, or the sauce was too thick. Next time, pull the pasta early and keep the sauce pourable. To rescue one now, stir 1/2 cup warm milk into the dish before reheating.
Grainy or oily sauce: the cheese went in over high heat, or it was pre-shredded. Take the pan off the burner, wait 1 minute, and add the cheese a handful at a time.
Mushy pasta: it was boiled to al dente or past it, or the dish sat a long time before baking. Undercook by 2 minutes and rinse briefly under cold water if you're assembling ahead.
Pale top: some ovens won't brown cheese at 400°F. Broil for 1 to 3 minutes on the middle rack and watch it the whole time, because it goes from golden to burnt quickly.
Bland: cheese sauce needs salt. Taste the sauce before the pasta goes in, and salt the pasta water well.
What to serve with chicken pasta bake
The bake is rich, so serve it with something crisp or green. A lemony arugula salad or a chopped romaine salad with a vinegar dressing cuts through the cheese. Roasted broccoli can share the oven: put it on the rack below at 400°F for the same 20 minutes. Steamed green beans tossed with butter and garlic are quick too. If you want bread, go with plain garlic bread, not anything cheesy.
Tips for success
- Grate the carrot on the large holes of a box grater so the shreds soften in the oven without disappearing.
- Warm the milk in the microwave for 1 minute before adding it. The sauce thickens faster and is less likely to lump.
- Use a metal or glass dish, not a deep casserole. A 9x13 keeps the layer about 2 inches thick, so the center heats through before the top over-browns.
- Pull rotisserie chicken off the bone while it's still warm. It comes away in bigger, juicier pieces.
Substitutions
- Gluten-free: use gluten-free pasta (cook it 3 minutes under the package time, since it softens more) and thicken with 2 tbsp cornstarch whisked into the cold milk instead of flour.
- Dairy-free: use olive oil instead of butter, unsweetened oat milk and a dairy-free shredded cheese. The sauce is thinner and the top browns less, but it holds together.
- Turkey: leftover roast turkey swaps in cup for cup with no other changes.
- Vegetables: 2 cups small broccoli florets or a 10 oz bag of frozen peas can replace the corn and carrot. Add the broccoli to the pasta water for the last 2 minutes.
- Cheese: Monterey Jack or Gouda instead of cheddar gives a milder, meltier bake. Gruyère adds a nutty flavor and costs more.
- Milk: half-and-half for half the milk makes it richer. Don't use all half-and-half, or the bake turns greasy.
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a covered container and eat within 3 to 4 days. To freeze, cool completely, then wrap portions tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. To reheat, add a splash of milk, cover and heat in a 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or in the microwave in 1-minute bursts, until it reaches 165°F in the center.
Make ahead
Assemble the whole bake up to 24 hours ahead, cover and refrigerate. Rinse the drained pasta briefly in cold water first so it doesn't keep softening. Let it sit out for 20 minutes before baking, then add 10 to 15 minutes to the bake time, until the center reaches 165°F. You can also shred the chicken and grate the cheese and carrot up to 3 days ahead.
Creamy Chicken Pasta Bake in 45 Minutes
Macaroni and shredded chicken in a creamy cheddar sauce with sweet corn and carrot, baked until the top is golden and bubbling. Feeds 6 in 45 minutes.
- Prep
- 15 mins
- Cook
- 30 mins
- Total
- 45 mins
- Servings
- 6 servings
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F and butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
- Cook the pasta 2 minutes less than the package's al dente time. It should still be firm in the center. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute, until it smells lightly toasted and coats the onion.
- Slowly pour in the milk, then the broth, whisking the whole time so no lumps form. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, 4 to 6 minutes. It should still pour easily.
- Take the skillet off the heat. Stir in the Dijon, salt, pepper, paprika and 1 cup of the cheddar until smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Add the pasta, chicken, corn and carrot to the sauce and fold until everything is coated. Spread it in the baking dish.
- Scatter the remaining 1 cup cheddar and the mozzarella over the top.
- Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges are bubbling and the center reads 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- For a browner top, switch to broil for 1 to 3 minutes and watch closely until the cheese is golden with darker spots.
- Let it rest for 5 minutes so the sauce sets and the squares hold their shape. Sprinkle with cilantro or parsley and serve.
Equipment
- 9x13-inch baking dish
- 12-inch skillet
- large pot
- instant-read thermometer
Nutrition (per serving)
- Calories
- 710 kcal
- Protein
- 44 g
- Carbs
- 59 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 1090 mg
Nutrition values are estimates per serving and change with brands and portion sizes.
Dinner Ideas Weekly · https://dinnerideasweekly.com/blog/chicken-pasta-bake
Frequently asked questions
Can you freeze chicken pasta bake?
Yes. Freeze it baked and cooled, in portions or the whole dish, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, add a splash of milk, cover with foil and bake at 350°F until the center reaches 165°F, about 30 minutes for a full dish. The pasta is a little softer after freezing.
Can I use raw chicken in a pasta bake?
Not raw straight into the dish. The bake isn't in the oven long enough to cook raw chicken safely. Poach or sauté it first until it reaches 165°F in the thickest part, then shred or cube it.
Do you cook pasta before putting it in a pasta bake?
Yes, but only partly. Boil it 2 minutes short of al dente. It finishes in the oven by soaking up sauce. Fully cooked pasta turns mushy, and dry pasta needs a lot more liquid and time to cook.
Should a chicken pasta bake be covered in the oven?
Bake it uncovered when it goes in fresh so the cheese browns. Cover it with foil only when you're reheating leftovers or baking a refrigerated make-ahead dish, then uncover for the last 10 minutes.
How do I keep my pasta bake from drying out?
Keep the sauce pourable when you mix it with the pasta, undercook the pasta, and don't overbake. It's ready as soon as the edges bubble and the center hits 165°F.