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This Cheesy Chicken Pasta is the perfect dinner any night of the week. It’s packed with creamy, rich, cheesy goodness, with some tender chicken and spinach to balance everything out! Only 10 minutes of prep time and all done in one pot!
Is there anything quite as comforting as a big pot of cheesy pasta? Whether it’s a cold winter night or the end of a long work day, this Cheesy Chicken Pasta is the perfect cure for all that ails you. Packed full of melted mozzarella cheese, tender chicken, rich cream cheese, and fresh bright spinach, this dish is sure to tickle your taste buds!
Cheesy Chicken Pasta All In One Pot
I can’t be the only one who likes to find ways to make my dishes in as few different pots as possible. Not only does it really cut back on prep and cook time, but making the different steps of our recipes all in the same point really ensures we’re able to retain as much flavor as possible. We’re adding all our broth and milk to our pot before cooking down our pasta, ensuring the dish comes together in a flash and is completely delicious!
Ingredients In Cheesy Chicken Pasta
- Olive oil – We want a nice neutral tasting oil to brown our chicken.
- Chicken – I used chicken breast today cubed up into bite sized pieces, feel free to use chicken thighs if you’d like.
- Garlic – Fresh is best but if jarred is all you have on hand keep in mind that 1 1/2 teaspoons equals 1 fresh clove.
- Pasta – I used penne today to soak up all this delicious sauce but any shape pasta will do.
- Broth – Chicken broth, low or no sodium to control our salt level.
- Milk – Any fat percentage works for this recipe so use whatever you have on hand.
- Veggies –My veggies of choice today is a chopped onion and spinach.
- Cheese – Cream cheese, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese.
- Seasoning – Salt and pepper.
How To Make Cheesy Chicken Pasta
- Saute the onion: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook till translucent.
- Brown the chicken: Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper and cook through until browned. Stir in the garlic and cook till aromatic for about 1 minute.
- Combine the cheesy chicken pasta: Add the pasta, chicken broth, milk, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes or until the pasta is cooked. Uncover and if there’s any more liquid cook for another 5 minutes or until all the liquid has cooked off.
- Finish the dish: Remove from heat, stir in the cream cheese till creamy and melted. Add the spinach, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Stir until all the cheese melts and the spinach wilts. Serve while warm.
What Else Can I Use In This Cheesy Chicken Pasta?
There’s lots you can do with this recipe! It’s a great blank canvas for bulking up with veggies or playing around with fun pasta shapes.
Veggies |
Pasta |
Meat |
Cheese |
| Broccoli | Shells | Sausage | Cheddar |
| Tomatoes | Rigatoni | Chorizo | Gouda |
| Corn | Elbow Macaroni | Turkey | Provolone |
| Peas | Bow Ties | Ground Beef | Bocconcini |
| Carrots | Monterey Jack | ||
| Asiago |
What To Serve With Cheesy Chicken Pasta
Now this dish is completely satisfying all on it’s own if you’re looking for a tasty and easy dinner time meal, but if you’re looking to add some more color to your plate here are some great accompaniments!
- Mushroom Arugula Warm Salad
- Italian Roasted Mushrooms And Veggies
- Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussel Sprouts
- White Beans With Bacon And Herbs
Storing Leftover Cheesy Chicken Pasta
This dish can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 5 days. You can freeze this dish for up to 3 months in an airtight container. To reheat just remove the dish from its airtight container and place in a baking dish covered with aluminum foil and bake at 350 F degrees till reheated through, around 20 – 30 minutes.
More Delicious Pasta Dishes To Try:
- Tomato Shrimp Pasta
- Cowboy Pasta Salad
- Easy Pasta Alfredo
- Cheesy Taco Pasta
- Chicken Bacon Pasta With Tomato Sauce
- Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper
- Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
Cheesy Chicken Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 pound chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 10 ounce penne uncooked (2 1/2 cups)
- 2½ cups chicken broth low sodium
- 1 cup milk
- 8 ounce spinach fresh (about 3 cups)
- 3 ounce cream cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
Instructions
- Saute the onion: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook till translucent.
- Brown the chicken: Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper and cook through until browned. Stir in the garlic and cook till aromatic for about 1 minute.
- Combine the cheesy chicken pasta: Add the pasta, chicken broth, milk, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes or until the pasta is cooked. Uncover and if there’s any more liquid cook for another 5 minutes or until all the liquid has cooked off.
- Finish the dish: Remove from heat, stir in the cream cheese till creamy and melted. Add the spinach, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Stir until all the cheese melts and the spinach wilts. Serve while warm.
- Serve while warm.
Tips & Notes:
- This dish can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 5 days. You can freeze this dish for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
- To reheat just remove the dish from its airtight container and place in a baking dish covered with aluminum foil and bake at 350 F degrees till reheated through, around 20 – 30 minutes.
