Chicken and Bacon Pasta Bake

This easy Chicken and Bacon Pasta Bake is made with the homemade Spinach dip combined with elbow macaroni, chicken and bacon!    Creamy and cheesy pasta is smothered in a Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese sauce and then baked in a casserole dish until the perfect golden crust forms on top.  Family favorite dinner recipe!

Tips and Tricks

• What kind of chicken meat to use? Use boneless and skinless chicken meat, such as chicken breast, chicken tenderloins, or dark chicken meat.  You can also use leftover cooked chicken.
• You can use either fresh or frozen spinach.
• Use store-bought spinach dip if you like.  You can also use pre-made spinach and artichoke dip.
• Use any kind of short pasta: elbow macaroni, penne, rigatoni, small pasta shells.
• Pre-cook the bacon in the preheated oven at 375 F.   Layer bacon strips in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake the bacon until it is cooked and crispy.
• This is a super versatile recipe, and you can add all kinds of veggies to this pasta bake.  Add artichokes, tomatoes, onions, broccoli, bell peppers, or asparagus.
• You can easily freeze this pasta bake right in the casserole dish.  Use it as meal prep dish.

Bacon substitutes

If you want to use something other than regular bacon in your chicken pasta bake, here are some excellent choices:

• Prosciutto – an Italian dry-cured ham.
• Pancetta – an Italian bacon made of pork belly meat.
• Turkey bacon
• Duck bacon

Make this pasta bake gluten free

Because everything is made from scratch in this recipe, to make it gluten free all you have to do is use gluten free pasta. Gluten free brown rice elbow macaroni or penne pasta will work great. Tip: After cooking gluten free pasta al dente, make sure to rinse it with cold water to prevent it from getting mushy.

Can you put raw chicken in a pasta bake?

No.  There is too much of a risk that you’ll end up with undercooked chicken.  Use either cooked sliced chicken (good way to use up some leftover chicken!).  Or, quickly saute small-sized pieces of skinless, boneless chicken meat for about 3 minutes, without overcooking them.  Baking the casserole dish in the oven for another 30 minutes will be enough to cook the chicken through.

Do you cook pasta before pasta bake?

• It depends on the type of sauce you use and how long you cook the pasta bake in the oven.  Remember that dry pasta needs to hydrate.
• If you use a very runny liquid/sauce for your baked pasta, such as milk or chicken broth, you can probably use uncooked pasta in your pasta bake. The pasta will easily absorb all the liquid during the baking process.
• If you use a thicker, creamier sauce, such as spinach dip, or other cheese-based sauce, you have to cook pasta before adding it to the pasta bake.

How do you not overcook pasta

• Cook pasta al dente, just long enough so that it is not hard but not soft either.  The pasta should have a firm texture.
• Test the pasta 3 minutes before it’s ready to avoid overcooking.
• If you did over cook the pasta, rinse the pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process immediately.

Should you rinse pasta

• Do not rinse pasta when serving it hot or with sauce.  Generally, you don’t want to rinse pasta after cooking, especially if you plan to use the pasta with the sauce.  Rinsing pasta removes the starch that helps hold and absorb the sauce.   After cooking pasta al dente, drain it in a colander without rinsing it with water.  This keeps the starch with pasta and allows the sauce to stick to pasta.
• Do rinse pasta when serving it cold or in a salad, or in a stir fry.  Rinse the pasta if you want to prevent it from sticking together or if you want to use pasta in recipes, such as pasta salad or stir fries.   In other words, rinse the pasta with cold water for recipes where you don’t want your pasta to be gummy or clump together.

How to make chicken and bacon pasta bake

1) First, prepare all the ingredients for the pasta bake: cooked sliced chicken, drained cooked pasta, chopped cooked bacon, spinach dip:

2) Mix everything together and add to the casserole dish:

3) Top with shredded Mozzarella cheese:

How long do you put pasta bake in the oven

Bake it at 375 F in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.  Then, broil for 3-4 minutes until golden brown on top.

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5 from 5 votes

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Chicken and Bacon Pasta Bake

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

Chicken and Bacon Pasta Bake - this easy casserole dish is made with the homemade Spinach dip combined with elbow macaroni, chicken and bacon!   Everything is coated with the Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese sauce and baked in a casserole dish until the perfect golden crust forms on top.  The whole family will love this creamy and cheesy pasta dish!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 672 kcal

Author: Julia

Ingredients

Spinach Dip:

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese , shredded
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese , shredded
• 5 oz frozen spinach , thawed, drained
• 5 cloves garlic , minced
• salt to taste

Remaining pasta bake ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken , diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 8 oz elbow macaroni , uncooked
• 6 slices bacon , cooked, drained, chopped
• 1 cup Mozzarella cheese , shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

How to make spinach dip:

1. Soften cream cheese in a medium bowl. 

2. Add the remaining dip ingredients (Mozzarella, Parmesan, spinach, garlic, salt to taste) to the bowl.  Mix well.

Prepare chicken:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. 

2. Add sliced chicken. Sprinkle with salt and Italian seasoning. 

3. Cook, stirring, on medium heat, until it's no longer pink, about 2 minutes.

Cook pasta

1. Cook elbow macaroni al dente.  Drain.

How to assemble chicken and bacon pasta bake:

1. To the skillet with sliced cooked chicken, add chopped cooked bacon, cooked and drained pasta, and spinach dip.  Mix everything together, reheating slightly.  

2. Add pasta mixture to the casserole dish.

3. Top with 1 cup of Mozzarella cheese.

4. Bake at 375 F in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 15 minutes. 

5. Then, broil for 3-4 minutes, until nicely browned on top.  Make sure not to burn the top of the pasta bake

Nutrition Facts

Chicken and Bacon Pasta Bake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 672 Calories from Fat 396

% Daily Value*

Fat 44g68%

Saturated Fat 18g113%

Cholesterol 140mg47%

Sodium 649mg28%

Potassium 443mg13%

Carbohydrates 32g11%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 34g68%

Vitamin A 3640IU73%

Vitamin C 3.3mg4%

Calcium 331mg33%

Iron 2.1mg12%

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