Chicken and Mushroom Pasta Bake

5 from 41 votes

Chicken and Mushroom Pasta Bake

My chicken and mushroom pasta bake is the perfect meal for those busy nights when you don't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 931kcal

Ingredients

½ pound chicken tenders
½ cup flour seasoned with sea salt and black pepper
2 teaspoon garlic finely chopped
2 cup sliced mushrooms
½ cup diced onion
½ cup diced carrots
½ cup peas frozen or fresh
2 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 ½ cups chicken stock
¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ cup milk
½ pound Cavatappi pasta - cooked (or your choice of pasta)
1 cup extra sharp cheddar white cheddar - shredded
1 teaspoon chopped parsley for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Add sea salt and black pepper to the all-purpose flour and whisk to combine
Dredge the chicken tenders in the seasoned flour.
in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place the chicken tenders into the pan and cook on one side for 2-3 minutes.
Turn the chicken tenders over then add the sliced mushrooms and diced onion to the pan. Add additional olive oil to the pan as needed.
Continue to mixture for 2-3 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked and the onions are fragrant.
Remove the chicken from the panm then add the garlic to the pan (with more oil if needed) and cook the garlic for 1 minute.
*When the chicken has cooled enough to handle cut it into smaller pieces.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the stock and seasonings to the pan. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a heavy spoon to release all of the tasty browned bits that stuck to the pan. Let the sauce cook to reduce for 3-4 minutes.
Roll two tablespoons of butter in the seasoned flour used coat the chicken, pushing flour into the softened butter. This is a beurre manie and will help thicken the sauce.
Add the beurre manie to the sauce and mix to combine.
When the sauce has slightly thickened add the heavy cream to the pan, stirring to combine.
Add the chicken, cavatappi, peas and carrots to the skillet.Mix to combine the ingredients.
Taste and reseason with salt and black pepper if needed.
Top the mixture with shredded cheddar and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Place the pasta bake on the center rack of a 350-degree preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese has fully melted and the internal temperature of the casserole has reached 165 degrees F.
Serve with a side salad and enjoy!

Notes

I used cavatappi to make this recipe, but you could use penne, ziti, fusilli or your favorite pasta shape. If you’re not a fan of cheddar cheese, you can use mozzarella cheese, gruyere, swiss, fontina, or a blend of your favorite cheeses.

You can change the vegetables to suit your tastes or what you have on hand. Bell peppers, broccoli, zucchini, spinach and asparagus are a few of my favorites.

For a little heat add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce.

How can I make my pasta bake creamier?

You can add additional heavy cream, or make a béchamel sauce for the dish. You can also add cream cheese or mascarpone to the sauce if you want a creamier sauce.

Nutrition