Creamy Chicken And Bacon Pasta Bake

Everyone's favourite cheesy and creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta Bake with baby spinach and sun-dried tomatoes can be prepped, baked and on the table in less than 45 minutes!

A delicious, kid-approved and comforting family dinner that's perfect for busy weeknights.

This creamy chicken and bacon pasta bake makes a big, BIG pasta bake!

It's the perfect dish for feeding a large family (or crowd), or to prep and freeze portions for easy meals ahead.

Pick up some chicken thigh fillets on special and try this pasta bake favourite of mine, along with some other easy dinner ideas, such as a spicy mexican baked salsa chicken, a classic chicken & chorizo risotto, or a rich and smooth slow cooker butter chicken.

All make decent sized family meals, and if you're lucky, you'll enjoy leftovers for the next days lunch!

Why You're Going To Love This Recipe

Any meal that takes little time to prepare and cook, and is hailed as a success by my family, is a dish that I love! Try it for yourself, I'm sure you'll agree.

• It makes a HUGE meal - so it's perfect for when you are having extras around or a team of hungry kids to feed. Serves 8 generously!
• Prepare ahead of time - if you like, you can prep this meal up to 24 hours ahead, and refrigerate it, then pop it in the oven when you're ready and dinners done!
• Ultimate flavour combo - pasta mixed with chicken, cheese and bacon.....if you have fussy eaters, this one's sure to shine!
• Freezer friendly - pop individual portions away for lunches or easy nights ahead.
• Versatile - there's plenty of variations you can make with this basic pasta bake recipe, so customise it by mixing and matching with your favourite fillings. See Variations below.

What You Need

I prefer to use uncooked chicken thigh fillets for this creamy chicken and bacon pasta bake, but another option is to use either leftover chicken or a cooked BBQ chicken instead. Reduces prep time too!

Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method!

• Pasta - spirals, rigatoni or penne. Choose a pasta that the creamy sauce can coat well and can really get trapped within, such as penne or rigatoni pasta.
• Olive oil - to fry the chicken in.
• Chicken - thigh or breast fillets, diced into 1 inch (2.5cm) pieces. I use thigh fillets as they're juicier than breast fillets however that's because they contain more fat. If you're watching your fat content, you may prefer to use breast fillets.
• Garlic - crushed. Either crush fresh cloves, or use store bought minced garlic.
• Italian herbs - either use a store bought mix, or a little dried or fresh parsley, thyme and rosemary.
• Bacon - streaky.
• Sun dried tomatoes - sweet and tangy sun dried tomatoes have been dehydrated for an more intense flavour and have a slightly chewy texture.
• Baby spinach - fresh spinach leaves, washed and drained.

For The Creamy Cheese Sauce

• Butter.
• Plain flour - same as all purpose flour.
• Chicken stock powder - such as Vegeta is so convenient and an easy way to enhance the taste of many dishes.
• Milk - I recommend using full fat milk, rather than skim or light varieties, for thickening the cheese sauce, but use your preference. It's best to have milk at room temperature to blend easier when adding to the flour and butter mixture.
• Cheddar cheese - grated. I recommend freshly grating your cheese for best results, rather than using pre-shredded cheese which contains anti-caking agents.
• Salt and pepper - to taste.

For Baking

• Cheese, grated - mozzarella or cheddar. Sprinkle a little parmesan on top too, if you like.

Equipment Required

If you don't have a VERY large baking dish, you can divide the pasta, fillings and creamy sauce between two ovenproof dishes. Makes it easy to freeze one dish for meals in advance too!

• Frying pan.
• A very large baking dish - or two smaller ones.
• Oven - I specify fan-forced oven temperatures in my recipes, so if you have a conventional oven, increase the temperature by between 10 and 20 degrees Celsius.

Step By Step Instructions

Creamy chicken and bacon pasta bake is the ultimate mid-week dinner sorted in less than an hour! Serve straight from the dish with a garden salad or steamed greens on the side.

Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method!

Step 1 - Cook The Pasta

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees (fan forced) and lightly grease your baking dish.

Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water until almost al dente (it's important to not completely cook the pasta as it will continue cooking in the oven).

Drain the pasta well, and then place it directly into your baking dish.

Step 2 - Cook The Chicken & Bacon

While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over high heat. Add the diced chicken, garlic and Italian herbs and cook until the chicken is browned all over and just cooked through.

Place the cooked chicken on top of the pasta in the baking dish.

Cook the diced streaky bacon in the frying pan until crispy. Sprinkle over the top of the chicken and pasta.

Add the sun-dried tomatoes and baby spinach leaves to the baking dish as well.

Step 3 - Make The Cheese Sauce

Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.

Stir through the flour and chicken stock powder and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Very slowly add the milk (½ a cup at a time), whisking when it is added and as it thickens.

TIP: Have your milk at room temperature and only add the next ½ cup of milk once the mixture is smooth and creamy. If you add too much milk at once, the sauce may end up lumpy.

Once all the milk has been added and the mixture has slightly thickened, add the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Stir until the cheese has melted through and the sauce is smooth.

Step 4 - Stir Through The Cheese Sauce And Bake

Pour the creamy sauce over the pasta and gently mix until all of the ingredients are combined and coated in the cheese sauce.

Sprinkle over the extra grated cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until golden on top and bubbling.

Expert Tips

This creamy chicken and bacon pasta bake is such a winner. It's budget-friendly and feeds a crowd - and it reheats perfectly if there's any leftovers!

• Make sure to use a very large baking dish, or if you don't have a large one, use two smaller ones.
• Use any type of pasta you like - I used penne here, but spirals, shells, and rigatoni work just as well. The creamy sauce coats these types of pasta well.
• For a time saving shortcut, use BBQ rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken.
• Milk - I recommend using full fat milk, and have it at room temperarure to blend more easily when making the cheese sauce.
• You can prep this dish a day ahead if you like. Assemble the dish and refrigerate, then bake when you're ready - just add 10-15 minutes extra cooking time since it's chilled.
• Versatile recipe - you can use this as a pasta bake base and vary with your favourite add-ins - see Variations below.
• Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days.
• To reheat, place in the oven at a low temperature until the chicken is piping hot in the centre. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave.
• Cooked pasta bake can be frozen complete, or in portion sizes for convenient single meals. Store in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge or microwave before reheating.

Variations

This is such a versatile recipe using the base of pasta, chicken and a creamy cheese sauce. Here's some suggestions of how you can vary this dish with your favourite add-ins:

• Add some sliced mushrooms, or red capsicum, and lightly saute after browning the chicken.
• Swap the bacon for pancetta, or fry sliced chorizo instead.
• Lightly saute sliced leeks, and add a little seeded mustard in the cheese sauce.
• Add some chilli flakes to the Italian herbs and some sliced green or black olives for a mediterranean twist.
• Caramelised onion added to the cheese sauce and a little lemon zest gives a smooth and subtle 'tweek' to the savoury flavours too!

FAQs

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