Pasta and Chicken Casserole
Creamy pasta with chicken and smoked ham. Combined with sauteed mushrooms and spices that made this dish so flavorful. You’ll discover how easy it is to have a delicious dinner in no time.
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what are the ingredients
- PASTA – any short pasta works well with this dish. You can get penne, rigatoni, or macaroni.
- SMOKED HAM – is fully cooked. This is a great use of your leftover ham or you can also get the deli meat.
- CHICKEN – I used rotisserie chicken. It’s fully cooked and easy to use on anything.
- MUSHROOMS – I used baby Bella mushrooms, very earthy and gives nice flavor after sauteeing.
- GARLIC AND ONION – my favorite aromatics. It gives your dish so much flavor.
- SPICES – garlic powder, smoked paprika, thyme, and Italian seasoning
- DIFFERENT CHEESES – shreddded cheddar, fresh grated Parmesa, and ricotta.
- FOR THE CREAM – heavy cream or whole milk and sour cream.
Can it be vegetarian?
Yes, use lots of veggies. Adding broccoli, cauliflower, green peas, or carrots are great veggies to use instead of chicken and ham. You’ll get the protein from the cheeses and cream. You can also use almond or coconut milk. The coconut cream renders a creamy and nutty flavor. It’ll work well with Parmesan and cheddar cheese, it’ll bump up the flavor.
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recipe
Pasta and Chicken Casserole
Equipment
- 9×13 baking dish
- Bowls
- Silicone spatula
- Nonstick skillet
Ingredients
- 8 oz short pasta, cook according to package
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cup baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup smoked ham, cut into cubes
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or whole milk
- a handful of parsley, rough chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat with olive oil. Add the butter, stir until melted. Add the onion, saute for a minute or until tender. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the garlic, continue sauteeing until aromatic. Add the mushrooms, stir to combine, and cook until tender. Add garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried thyme, and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine.
- Add the chicken and smoked ham. Continue stirring until well heated. Set it aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a dishpan, combine pasta and the chicken mixture. In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, ricotta, and sour cream. Add the heavy cream, use a spatula and mix the cheese mixture until well combined. Add the cheese mixture with the pasta, mix until the pasta is well coated.
- Sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheddar cheese and Parmesan on top. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheeses are melted. Garnish with parsley.
Notes
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Hi there! Nice to meet you. My name is Jen.
I’m a mom of 2 wonderful girls. I love to prepare and cook home-cooked meals. Cooking and planning your meals might sound like another chore added to your already long list of things to do. Believe me, I’ve been there. However, cooking more meals at home is worth all the effort. After years of cooking for my family and teaching culinary classes, I can honestly say that I have more control over the quality of the ingredients I use. That means I’m eating a lot healthier. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring or don’t have to eat the same thing repeatedly. There are ways we can do to naturally enhance the flavor of our food and enjoy home-cooked meals.