Today’s chicken pasta bake with a creamy white sauce and kale is another early recipe of mine that needed to be revamped. With new photos and a more polished recipe, I’m excited to put this satisfying casserole in the spotlight today.
This chicken pasta casserole was a hit with my husband and I. It’s a lot like mac and cheese with chicken and kale added in. Of course my boys turned their noses up at it since it was loaded with a leafy green. They just ate plain pasta, chicken, and steamed broccoli AGAIN for their vegetable. Hopefully one of these days they’ll branch out a bit more.
This recipe is tasty leftover and would also be welcome at any potluck. I love that the veggies are baked right in, so you don’t need to make a side dish. I hope this chicken casserole recipe is a favorite at your house too!
White Chicken Pasta Bake with Kale
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 10 ounces bite-sized pasta about 3 cups
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 sweet onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced or crushed
- 10 ounces kale prewashed and cut
- 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup chardonnay or chicken broth
- hot sauce optional
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup sour cream reduced fat is fine
- 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese divided
Instructions
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13″ baking dish with cooking spray.
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Cook and drain pasta according to package directions.
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While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Saute onion for 3-5 minutes, until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 1-2 minutes more. Add kale to skillet, and pour lemon juice and wine over the greens. Season with salt and a few dashes of hot sauce to taste. Stir, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Stir in chicken, and continue to cook until chicken is cooked through. Add up to 1/2 cup water or chicken broth if mixture seems dry.
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Stir in ricotta, milk, sour cream, and 1/2 c. parmesan until well combined. Stir in cooked pasta, and spread mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until top begins to brown.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 60
Adapted from Cheesy Chicken Casserole with Kale by Meg in the Kitchen.
Looking for more rich and creamy casseroles? Try these!
Tom says
Was looking for a kale recipe other than a salad or soup. This looked very interesting. I tweaked it rather a lot to accommodate my tastes & pantry, however it is an outstanding basis and very forgiving of my quirks. It is in the “Save” file – thank you for sharing it!
Re: Fussy youngsters. My kids were and remain much more adventuresome than most & with reasonably eclectic tastes. One thing, I oohed & ah-ed over dishes served elsewhere (when deserved), asking for recipes when I could. They often would like the same things, just it was made by someone else! Another strategy which worked very well was peer validation. I spoke with the parents of their friends to learn what ‘unconventional’ items were hits in those homes, then made them, noting that Chuck or Mary really loved whatever. Most frequently, other parents were eager for their kids to eat at our house, as the young’uns would return home appreciative of foods they had heretofore refused to touch. My only significant failures were beets & the heavy green leafed varieties like kale. For the latter, a food processor and various sauces work real well as camouflage!
Andi says
Hi, Tom. Thanks so much for your nice comment. I’m so happy to hear you liked my recipe! Thanks to for the advice about getting my boys to be a bit more adventurous. You are right that sometimes they will eat things from a restaurant that they won’t eat at home! Hiding greens in sauces is a good idea too. Surprisingly, my youngest loves beets! I should make those for him more.
Jaren (Diary of a Recipe Collector) says
So that looks like a great combination! That drink sounds really good!
Andi says
Thanks so much, Jaren!
Ashlyn @ Belle of the Kitchen says
Wow, Andi, kale has never looked so good! That cocktail sounds perfect, too. I love me some grapefruit. :)
Andi says
Thanks, Ashlyn! I had never tried a wine cocktail before besides sangria. Love the recipe!
Cathy@LemonTreeDwelling says
Wow does this sound good, Andi! So yummy and comforting….I can see myself going back for seconds and licking my plate clean!
Andi says
Ha thank you, Cathy!
Annie @Maebells says
Andi this looks lovely! I know some people aren’t crazy about casseroles, but I love them! Total comfort food!
Andi says
Thank you, Annie! I love casseroles. Those people are crazy ;)
Liz says
Yum and pretty! Isn’t that the way of it, though, that kids don’t appreciate the good stuff? I thought that because I was in the food industry and am fairly adventurous, my kids would be born open-minded about food and willing to try and enjoy foods besides noodles. Nope, not so much. But will always keep trying, so thanks for the inspiration. Hope you enjoyed your weekend.
The Weary Chef says
I have loved to eat since I was born. (Seriously, my mom said even as a newborn I couldn’t get enough milk.) I assumed my kids would share my love for food, but not so much. They aren’t super picky but definitely not adventurous. I’m always shocked when I have to coax, beg, and nag them to eat at mealtimes. No one ever has to tell me twice to eat, that’s for sure!