Leftover Chicken Pasta Bake
Try this delicious leftover chicken pasta bake with bacon, cheese, and sour cream - it has the potential to become a family favorite.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 590kcal
Equipment
- Casserole dish 7.5x9 inches/19x23 cm
Ingredients
- 9 oz elbow macaroni or other short pasta
- 2.5 oz bacon or pancetta
- 1 can/jar of mushrooms or 7 oz/ 200 g fresh mushrooms, Note 1
- 2 cups cooked and cubed chicken 9 oz, Note 2
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper to taste
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1¼ cups grated cheese Note 3
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped chives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 360°F/ 180°C. Lightly butter the baking dish.
- Cook the pasta according to the packet's instructions. Drain and return to the pot.9 oz elbow macaroni
- Cook the bacon in a frying pan, drain it on paper towels, and chop or crumble it. If using pancetta, dice it, then cook it in the frying pan. 2.5 oz bacon
- Mushrooms: If using fresh mushrooms, clean them with kitchen paper, slice them thinly, and fry them in the pan you used for frying the bacon for about 3-4 minutes, until the water they release evaporates and they are golden. You will not need to add fat if there is still some bacon fat in the pan.If using mushrooms from a jar, let them drain well.1 can/jar of mushrooms or 9 oz/ 250 g fresh mushrooms
- Chop the cooked chicken.2 cups cooked and cubed chicken
- Combine pasta bake: Add the crumbled or chopped bacon, chicken, and mushrooms to the pasta in the pot. Add salt, pepper, dried rosemary, sweet paprika powder, and garlic powder. Add the sour cream and ¾ of the grated cheese. Mix well and adjust the taste with salt and pepper, if necessary. Place everything into the baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.½ teaspoon dried rosemary + ½ teaspoon sweet paprika powder + ½ teaspoon garlic powder + 1 teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ teaspoon black pepper +1 cup sour cream+ 1¼ cups grated cheese
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the top of the chicken and bacon pasta bake is golden brown. Sprinkle with chives and serve.1-2 tablespoons chopped chives
Notes
- Mushrooms: Don't stress about the exact amount of mushrooms in the jar or can; use whatever you have; a little more or less will not matter, about 5.3-7 oz/150-200 g drained weight. If using fresh mushrooms about 200 g/ 7 oz fresh mushrooms are OK.
- Use leftover chicken (or turkey) or use rotisserie chicken. If none is available, cook about the same amount of chicken breast and use that instead.
- Cheese: Gouda, Cheddar, or any kind of cheese you like to use when making pasta bakes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/4 of the bake | Calories: 590kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 1114mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g