Chicken and Bacon Pasta Casserole – 🥓🍅🧀 The BEST comfort food casserole recipe complete with tender pasta, seasoned chicken, crumbled bacon, onions, bell peppers, and TWO types of melted cheese! EASY to make and a guaranteed family FAVORITE! Bonus that you can prep it in advance and just bake it off when you’re ready. Makes a big batch and the leftovers keep and freeze great!
Table of Contents
- Easy Chicken Bacon Pasta Casserole Recipe
- more comfort food casserole recipes
- Ingredients in Chicken Pasta Casserole with Bacon
- How To Make Chicken Pasta Bake with Bacon
- what to serve with chicken and Bacon pasta
- Make Ahead and Storage
- Recipe FAQs
- Chicken and Bacon Pasta Casserole Recipe
- more easy pasta Skillet recipes
Easy Chicken Bacon Pasta Casserole Recipe
This easy casserole recipe is the definition of comfort food! I know you’re going to love this easy pasta recipe and here’s why.
- There are tender pieces of seasoned chicken and crispy crumbled bacon in every bite.
- Perfectly cooked pasta is tossed with onions, garlic, bell peppers, crushed tomatoes, and spinach for the perfect amount of texture and extra layers of flavor.
- I also add chicken broth + dry white wine (optional) to keep things moist and flavorful. Nothing worse than a dry pasta dish and this is anything but!
- The final touch comes in the form of two kinds of melted cheese! Namely, mozzarella and cheddar. No one can resist melted cheese!
- Loved by kids and adults alike, this family favorite is the perfect easy weeknight dinner for when you are craving something warm, cheesy, and comforting!
- Make-ahead friendly, too. There’s a section on that below if this is of interest. But if you want to get a headstart on your week or you’re making this for an event, you can prep it in advance if you know you won’t have much prep time on the day of. It also freezes very well!
more comfort food casserole recipes
Ingredients in Chicken Pasta Casserole with Bacon
- Dry pasta – Small shaped pasta including penne pasta, ziti, rigatoni, small shells, elbow macaroni.
- Bacon – For the best flavor, fatty cuts of bacon are ideal because the grease is then used to sauté the chicken in, which adds more flavor to the casserole. However, use your favorite type of bacon (turkey bacon is fine) and if you want to omit the bacon, that’s fine. Use sufficient olive oil to cook the chicken if you didn’t use bacon or used very lean bacon.
- Chicken – I prefer boneless skinless chicken breasts but you can use chicken thighs if you prefer. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Olive oil
- Onion – Yellow onion is what I use but a white onion is fine.
- Garlic cloves – May sub with minced garlic from a jar or even garlic powder.
- Italian seasoning
- Red pepper flakes – Optional but add flavor, not true “heat” (unless you use much more).
- Bell pepper – Red bell peppers are what I use but any color is fine.
- Canned crushed tomatoes + tomato paste – If you don’t keep tomato paste on hand, it’s ok to omit it. I use it to intensify the tomato flavor.
- Liquids – A mixture of chicken broth (or chicken stock), and optional dry white wine add moisture and flavor.
- Fresh spinach – I use baby spinach. I do not recommend frozen spinach here because all those green flecks just detract from the visual appeal of the casserole.
- Cheese – A combination of shredded mozzarella cheese for melting and gooey cheese pulls while shredded cheddar cheese add sharper flavor. Parmesan cheese is also a great option.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How To Make Chicken Pasta Bake with Bacon
- Pasta: Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish, preheat your oven, and cook the pasta as directed for al dente or even a bit less. Reserve 1 cup pasta water.
- Bacon and chicken: While the pasta boils, in a separate large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crispy, then crumble it. Save the bacon grease to cook the chicken in. Cook the chicken for about 5-7 minutes and when it’s done, remove it to a plate.
- Vegetables: Add olive oil as needed, saute the onion and bell peppers for about 5 mins, and add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes in the final minute. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and simmer for a minute.
- Liquids: Add chicken broth, optional wine (or just use extra broth), and allow the mixture to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Incorporate and Bake: Add the bacon, chicken, spinach, pasta, and stir to incorporate. Transfer to the baking dish, top with both cheese, and bake until golden and bubbly!
what to serve with chicken and Bacon pasta
Make Ahead and Storage
Make Ahead: You can cook the various ingredients and assemble the casserole to the point before baking it. Stop after you sprinkle the cheese, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for up to 24-36 hours. When you’re ready to bake it off, set it on your counter for 1 hour before you plan to bake it because a cold casserole dish will take much longer to bake than a room temperature one, and you risk burning the cheese before the center is warm.
In the Refrigerator: This recipe will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
In the Freezer: This recipe will keep airtight in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also freeze an unbaked casserole however this is tricky unless you have a large enough freezer to accomodate a flat 9×13-inch pan. And then there’s the issue of wrapping it really well to prevent freezer burn.
To Reheat: I use my microwave for quickness and ease and reheat my leftovers for about 30 seconds on high, or as needed.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Simply add previously cooked chicken, such as from my Whole Roasted Chicken recipe, or use store bought rotisserie chicken. Shred or cube the chicken and add it at the end when you add the cooked bacon and spinach.
Yes, extra vegetables including sliced mushrooms, zucchini, or broccoli florets are good options because you can add them when you add the bell peppers and they’ll cook in approximately the same amount of time.
You can achieve a creamy chicken and bacon pasta casserole by stirring about 6 tablespoons cream cheese into the sauce right before you add the cooked chicken , bacon, and spinach. About 1/3 cup heavy cream could also work – although it will thin out the sauce more than using cream cheese would.
By mixing about 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs + 1 tbsp melted butter, sprinkle that on after you add the cheeses, it’ll help the top crisp up a bit.
Chicken and Bacon Pasta Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 ounces dry small-shaped pasta, (I used penne; ziti, rigatoni, small shells, or elbow macaroni are fine; use 300 grams)
- 6 slices bacon
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces (seasoned with about 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or as necessary
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (white onion may be substituted)
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced small
- 3-4 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional and to taste
- 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste, optional, but adds additional tomato flavor
- ⅔ cup reduced sodium chicken broth
- ⅓ c dry white wine, (such as sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, or chardonnay; if you don't want to use wine, use an additional 1/3 cup broth)
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach, (about 3 heaping handfuls, or 100 grams; I do not recommend frozen spinach)
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F, spray a 9×13-baking dish or casserole dish with cooking spray; set aside.
- Pasta – Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions for al dente. While it's boiling, start cooking the bacon in the next step.Save 1 cup pasta water. Then drain and rinse the pasta and set it aside. Tip – I actually cook it 1 minute less than al dente because later on, this pasta is baked for 20-25 minutes and I don't like overcooked pasta, so I take precautions now. It's up to you.
- Bacon – To a large skillet, add the bacon, and cook for about 7 minutes over medium-high heat, or until the bacon is as crispy as you like. When it's done, dice or crumble it into small pieces. Save the bacon grease to cook the chicken in.
- Chicken – To the bacon grease, add the diced chicken, and cook for about 6-7 minutes, or until chicken is done and cooked through. Stir and flip frequently to ensure even cooking. When done, remove it from the skillet with a slotted spoon and set it aside on a plate. Save the cooking liquids in the skillet for the veggies.
- Vegetables – If necessary, add olive oil (if there's not enough residual bacon grease or the skillet is looking a little dry), as desired. Add the onions, bell peppers, and saute for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Stir very frequently to ensure even cooking.
- Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, optional red pepper flakes to taste, and cook for 1 minute; stir continuously.
- Liquids – Add the crushed tomatoes (do not drain), tomato paste (it's optional if you don't keep it on hand), chicken broth, and optional wine. If not using wine, add an additional 1/3 cup broth. Stir to combine, bring to a simmer, and allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thickened a bit. Stir frequently.
- Incorporating – Add the spinach, cooked bacon and chicken, cooked pasta, and stir to combine. Tip – If the mixture seems a bit dry, add pasta water from your reserved cup of pasta water. You likely won't need it all, and probably less than 1/2 cup will do the trick, but it will really depend on how it looks and your personal preference for dry vs. saucy.Taste the dish and as desired, add salt and pepper. If it tastes at all boring or flat, it likely needs more salt. If you want more heat, add more red pepper flakes.
- Transfer – Transfer the mixture to your prepared baking dish and evenly sprinkle with both kinds of cheese. Add more (or less) cheese, to taste, than I called for based on your preference for cheese. Make Ahead – If you're making this ahead of time, stop now, cover very tightly with foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24-36 hours. When you do plan to bake it, allow it to sit on your countertop for 1 hour before you bake it. If you don't, you'll end up with burnt cheese on top and a cold casserole in the middle because that's what happens when you bake straight from fridge to oven with a cold casserole that's been in the fridge overnight. You also run the risk of damaging your baking dish. Not all are designed to go from cold to hot.
- Baking – Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is as golden browned and bubbly as desired. All ovens vary, so I suggest checking early and often. Rotate your pan once midway through baking to ensure even browning. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I hadn’t got all ingredients needed, but made it with what I’d got. I used Rosè wine, and just Cheddar cheese. It turned out fine and will attempt it again. Not your fault at all. As I said, it was very nice. Have frozen leftovers for another day. Thank you.
what a great dish for my casserole pan! it looked so good in my pan!
Very very good! Thank you for sharing your recipes.
Thanks so much and glad you’re enjoying my recipes, Donna!