Pasta Chicken & Bacon Carbonara Casserole
I had a rich pasta dish similar to this at a restaurant, Bacon, alfredo and pasta--pretty much a match made in heaven. It was so delicious that I tried duplicating it at home. This is remarkably close, but not as fussy because it uses ready-made ingredients rather than being made from scratch. This is the perfect meal for a busy weeknight! It can be thrown together in a matter of minutes and is a great way to use leftover chicken (or even a rotisserie chicken); just skip the first step. If you know that you will have a busy day, you can prep this meal in the morning and throw it in the oven right before you are ready to eat!
I had a rich pasta dish similar to this at a restaurant, Bacon, alfredo and pasta--pretty much a match made in heaven. It was so delicious that I tried duplicating it at home. This is remarkably close, but not as fussy because it uses ready-made ingredients rather than being made from scratch. This is the perfect meal for a busy weeknight! It can be thrown together in a matter of minutes and is a great way to use leftover chicken (or even a rotisserie chicken); just skip the first step. If you know that you will have a busy day, you can prep this meal in the morning and throw it in the oven right before you are ready to eat!
- garlic powder to taste
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- dried basil to taste
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese divided
- 1/2 cup peas
- 2 large frozen chicken breasts or equivilent leftover cooked chicken (2 1/2 to 3 cups)
- onion powder to taste
- dried oregano to taste
- celery seed to taste
- 1/2 cup onion finely diced
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper finely diced
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper finely diced
- 1 garlic cloves (to 2); finely grated
- 6 tablespoons dry white wine (3 glugs) for deglazing pan
- 3 tablespoons real bacon bits (heaping tbs.) or crumbled cooked bacon
- 1 1/2 to 2 jars alfredo sauce depending on how creamy you want it
- 2 cups mozzarella (or provolone cheese) shredded & divided
- 1 pound penne pasta (or your choice pasta); cooked to al dente
- Carbohydrate 115.088082410968 g
- Cholesterol 313.694405224967 mg
- Fat 72.1457474731327 g
- Fiber 1.14944998070588 g
- Protein 79.5484303974784 g
- Saturated Fat 41.4487340293485 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (882g)
- Sodium 1523.79744468974 mg
- Sugar 113.938632430262 g
- Trans Fat 4.38443218407646 g
- Calories 1425 calories
Step-by-step
- Place frozen chicken breasts in greased baking dish. Top frozen chicken breasts with 2 tbs. olive oil and season to your liking with all the spices.
- Bake in a 350F oven for 45-60 mins or until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees, when done remove and let cool a bit.
- While chicken is baking make pasta according to package directions for al dente.
- In a saute pan place onions, and peppers. Saute veggies until slightly tender, add grated garlic and stir so it won't burn.
- Deglaze pan with white wine and simmer for a couple minutes.
- Cut slightly cooled chicken into bite size chucks or shred if you prefer.
- Combine chicken, sauteed veggies, Alfredo sauce, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, peas, and drippings from baked chicken pan (if you did the 1st step). Add salt and pepper to taste (watch out when adding salt. Bacon and cheeses add salt already).
- Pour mixture over pasta in a greased 9" x 13" baking dish and stir to combine. Top with remaining cheeses. Cover with foil.
- Bake at 350F for 30 mins then uncover and bake until bubbly and slightly browned.
How far ahead can this assembly sit in the refrigerator before the pasta absorbs all the sauce and turns dry? Assembled casseroles containing heavy dairy sauces like alfredo require careful handling because starches continue to swell when chilled. Storing unbaked pasta dishes successfully relies on protective layering and moisture control.
- Assemble the dish up to 24 hours in advance, keeping it tightly wrapped in plastic foil at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower to prevent bacterial growth.
- Add two tablespoons of milk or white wine to the mixture if the pasta looks dry after resting overnight, which restores fluidity before baking.
- Bake the chilled casserole covered with aluminum foil for the first 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit to heat the center without scorching the surface mozzarella.
- Uncover the baking dish for the final 10 minutes of the baking cycle to achieve a bubbling, golden-brown cheese crust.
- Freeze the unbaked casserole for up to two months, ensuring it thaws completely in the refrigerator for 24 hours prior to oven heating.
Retaining al dente texture requires halting the cooking process immediately by shocking boiled penne in cold water. Using pre-cooked rotisserie poultry instead of frozen breasts cuts prep time substantially without altering the final moisture balance of the sauce.
