Not Your Momma’s Chicken Spinach Cheese Casserole

What? Not another easy and delicious recipe: Chicken Spinach Cheese Casserole!

The stuff-your-face-full holidays are upon us! 

It’s my favorite time of the year. I adore the twinkly lights, the light hearted music, the gatherings and the recognition of blessings but above all else…I adore the food. The wear-your-stretchy-pants to dinner kinds of holidays are my absolute fav. As parents know, with the fun of the holidays comes the addition of more errands and more things to do and hence less time and more stress. When life gets even busier than usual I like to make incredibly easy dishes that I know my whole family will love. This is a sponsored post, all opinions are my own.

Casseroles For The New Generation

One of my favorite dishes to create in the kitchen are casseroles. Totally popular to our parents generation, casseroles are hearty one dish meals that can contain a multitude of ingredients. Well known to be made with whatever ingredients you have on hand, my favorite type of casseroles to create for my large family are pasta casseroles because pasta allows me to express my family’s individuality through its versatility and variety. And it’s perfect for any occasion or time of year! I can rely on the fact that pasta is so versatile that it can virtually be paired and delicious with almost any other ingredient. I recently had a ton of fun in the kitchen and I have created the most delicious casserole known to man. Or rather, what I’d like to call “not your momma’s chicken, spinach and cheese casserole.

Chicken, Spinach and Cheese Casserole Recipe

Ingredients:

1 LB of Penne Pasta
12 ounces Marinara Sauce
16 ounces Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)
1 bunch fresh Spinach (cleaned and stems cut off)
1/2 Cup of Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
2 Chicken Breasts (sliced to 1″ strips)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Chicken Broth
4 Fresh Basil Leaves, Chopped
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook Penne Pasta to al-dente package directions. While pasta is boiling, season chicken with salt, pepper and italian herbs. Heat olive oil on large frying pan and brown chicken on both sides. Rinse Penne pasta with cold water and let cool. Pour cooled pasta into large casserole dish, set aside. Add 1/4 cup of chicken broth to frying pan. Add spinach. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Add Marinara Sauce. Cook for 3 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes. Cook for 3 minutes. Poor chicken, spinach mixture on pasta. Mix well. Cover with shredded Mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350′ degrees for 25 minutes. Enjoy!

Step-By-Step in Pictures

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