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    Home > Pasta

    Cheesy Pasta Bake With Chicken And Bacon

    Published: Jan 14, 2017 · Modified: Oct 22, 2021 by Nicky Corbishley

    Go to Recipe Go to Video Print Recipe
    Cheesy Pasta Bake With Chicken And Bacon - a family favourite (and it makes great leftovers too!).

    This Cheesy Pasta Bake With Chicken And Bacon is a family favourite (and it makes great leftovers too!).
    Not a lot can beat a lovely cheesy pasta bake served up with a big side of salad (obviously that makes it healthy.......)

    Portrait photo of Cheesy Pasta Bake With Chicken And Bacon in a glass dish with a knife and fork in the background

    Cheesy Pasta Bake With Chicken And Bacon is one of those dinners that the kids can polish off in no time - regardless of how many veggies I sneak in there. Peppers, onions, tomatoes, spinach - it all gets thrown in.

    Sometimes I'll add courgette or kale. If I'm being extra sneaky I might add some finely chopped mushroom too (I'm the only mushroom lover in our house - but they all eat mushrooms if they can't identify them hee hee hee!).

    Overhead landscape close up shot of Cheesy Pasta Bake With Chicken And Bacon in a glass dish with a scoop taken out showing the lovely texture of the bake

    I like it cold for lunch the next day too - although you can heat it up in the microwave with a tablespoon of water - to stop it drying out.

    I sometimes wonder if I could eat pasta every day of the week and not get bored of it.

    Let's see...

    Monday: I'll kick-off with this chicken and bacon pasta bake.

    Tuesday: Cajun Chicken Pasta

    Wednesday: One Pan Lasagne Soup

    Thursday: One Pot Garlic Chicken Pasta

    Friday: Crispy Fried Ravioli with Spicy Tomato Dip

    Saturday: Pan Fried Salmon with Creamy Lemon Spaghetti

    Sunday: One Pan Spaghetti and Meatballs

    Oh yeah, that was easy - I didn't even start on the pulled pork ragu or the or the penne arrabiata!! Oh and dont forget to check out my new Creamy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake too!

    Overhead landscape photo of Cheesy Pasta Bake With Chicken And Bacon in a glass dish

    Do you have a favourite pasta dish? I'd love some new ideas for my pasta addiction 🙂

    The Chicken Bacon Pasta Bake Video


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    Equipment

    In order to make this super tasty Cheesy Pasta Bake with Chicken and Bacon you will need:

    • A good Kitchen knife.
    • Chopping Board.
    • A Measuring Jug.
    • Measuring Spoons
    • A Large Pan For boiling the pasta
    • Colander for straining the pasta.
    • A Baking Dish.  < This is the one you can see in the pictures here.
    • Grater (If you choose to grate your own cheese)
    • A large Frying Pan or Skillet
    • Wooden or Silicon Coated Spoons.  We have just bought these and love them.
    Cheesy Pasta Bake With Chicken And Bacon - a family favourite (and it makes great leftovers too!).

    Cheesy Pasta Bake With Chicken And Bacon Recipe

    By: Nicky Corbishley
    Cheesy Pasta Bake With Chicken And Bacon - a family favourite (and it makes great leftovers too!).
    4.84 from 67 votes
    Rate this Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 45 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine American, British, Italian
    Servings 6 people
    Calories 657 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 400 g dried pasta shapes - (I used rigatoni)
    • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
    • 3 large chicken breasts - cut into bitesize chunks
    • 1 large onion - peeled and chopped
    • 1 red bell pepper - de-seeded and chopped
    • 1 yellow bell pepper - de-seeded and chopped
    • pinch of salt and pepper
    • 2 cloves garlic - peeled and minced
    • 1 tbsp tomato puree
    • ½ tsp dried oregano
    • ½ tsp dried thyme
    • 800 g tinned chopped tomatoes
    • 120 ml double (heavy) cream
    • 100 g fresh baby spinach
    • 6 rashers cooked bacon - chopped
    • 100 g strong cheddar cheese - grated
    • 100 g mozzarella - grated
    • Small bunch parsley - roughly torn

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Preheat the oven to 190c/375f. Boil a large pan of water and cook the pasta for 1 minute less than recommended on the pack. Drain.
    • Whilst the pasta is cooking, heat the oil on a medium heat, in a large frying pan. Add the chicken, and cook until just sealed - about 5 minutes.
    • Add the onion and cook for a further 3-4 minutes until the onion is softened.
    • Add the chopped peppers, salt, pepper, garlic, tomato puree, oregano and thyme. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.
    • Stir in the tinned tomatoes and cream, bring to a gentle bubble, then add the pasta, spinach and cooked bacon. Stir everything together, then transfer to a large baking dish.
    • Top with the cheddar and mozzarella, and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown.
    • Take out of the oven and top with parsley before serving.

    Video

    ✎ Notes

    Can I make pasta bake ahead?

    Yes! You can make ahead up to the point you sprinkle the cheese on, then cool, cover with foil and refrigerate for up to a day
    • Take out of the fridge for an hour before cooking it, to take the chill off the dish (otherwise you mind find you get a cold spot in the middle when baking it).
    • Keep the foil on and heat in the oven at 190C/375F for about 10 minutes, then remove the foil and continue to heat for a further 15 minutes, until hot throughout.
    Note: the dish will be a little less saucy if you make it ahead, as the pasta will absorb more of the liquid. You can a few tablespoons of stock or hot water before heating the pasta to ensure it’s still saucy if you like.

    Can I freeze the leftovers from my pasta bake?

    Yes, once cooked:
    • Cool quickly, cover and freeze.
    • Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
    • Reheat in the oven (covered in foil) at 190C/375F for about 20-25 minutes until hot throughout.
    Add a few tablespoons of stock or hot water when reheating the pasta to ensure it’s still saucy.

    Type of pasta to use for pasta bake:

    I love to use rigatoni for this pasta bake, but you can use most pasta shapes. 
    Spiralli (pasta spirals), Penne (tubes cut on the diagonal), Fusilli (pasta twists) and Farfalle (pasta bows) all work partcularly well, with no change in amounts or cooking times.

    Vegetarian version:

    Replace the chicken with chunky pieces of courgette (zucchini) or mushroom. You can leave the bacon out entirely, or replace it with vegetarian chorizo or smoky chickpeas (chickpeas fried with smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper). 
    Also, ensure the cheddar and mozzarella are vegetarian versions.

    Gluten free version:

    This recipe works well as a gluten-free dish with a few changes. Swap out the pasta for gluten-free pasta and ensure your tomato paste is gluten free.
    Also, if you're using ready grated (shredded) cheese, ensure it's gluten free, as it can sometimes be tossed in a little flour to prevent it from sticking.
     
    Nutritional Information is per serving.

     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 657kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 33gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 637mgPotassium: 911mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 3040IUVitamin C: 82.3mgCalcium: 300mgIron: 3.5mg
    Keywords Any Time Of the year, How to make a pasta bake, Pasta Bake with Chicken and bacon
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    If you’ve tried my pasta bake recipe then please rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing your thoughts and add-ons to my recipes!
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    Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

    Read More

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    1. Amy DeAngelo says

      September 10, 2023 at 5:43 am

      4 stars
      Prep time was an hour minimum. Not 15 minutes. But that’s pretty typical on all recipes I find online. I used a quarter of the onion, no bell peppers, and pasta sauce instead of diced tomatoes. I also have no idea what 6 rashers of cooked bacon is but I fried up a pound of bacon, cut it up into tiny pieces and called it a day. That is what added some time. I cooked in a dutch oven on the stovetop and sent that baby right into the oven. Definitely added more cheese than called for and didn’t add parsley. Even with all the changes, this turned out great! Myself, husband, and 1 year old loved it! My 3 year old tolerated it. But he basically tolerates everything. 🤣 I would make again but cook bacon in the oven and prepare everything the night before so all I had to do was stick it in the oven. Thanks!

      Reply
    2. Martina Burdis says

      August 27, 2023 at 9:47 pm

      Loved it and so easy as I am not a natural cook - inspired me to try other recipes too - thank you

      Reply
    3. Jenny Walter says

      August 26, 2023 at 2:06 am

      5 stars
      I was looking for a new pasta recipe tonight and found yours. I had most of the ingredients on hand except the meat. I made a half-size batch (20 minutes baking) and it was delicious. I look forward to making it again, with the chicken or maybe beef. My favorite part is how flexible the recipe is, that down the road I can throw in whatever I have that sounds good. Thanks for sharing your creation!

      Reply
    4. Shira says

      August 16, 2023 at 10:56 pm

      5 stars
      I didn't make this at all but sort of used it as a guide. I knew I wanted a "chicken pot pie-sta" thing but without a tomato sauce. I sautéed celery, onions, and carrots and added bacon and chicken and cream like in this recipe, plus her suggested herbs. Mixed it all into a pot of penne and fam added cheese on their servings as desired. Generally I find comments like mine annoying but I am sure the recipe to the letter is delicious too! Regardless, grateful for the base to build off of, thank you!

      Reply
    5. Laura says

      May 21, 2023 at 7:08 am

      You can only watch a few seconds on the video, then it jumps to other recipes. You can't watch a full one. Any tips...

      Reply
      • Jo says

        August 29, 2023 at 10:27 am

        I had to enable full screen to watch the whole video 😃

        Reply
    « Older Comments

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