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Church Lunch Bake

CasseroleChickenDiner-Style
Time :45 minutes
Yield :4 servings
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Creamy baked pasta casserole with melted cheese, herbs, and colorful vegetables in a white baking dish on a light table. Perfect comfort food recipe for family dinners and meal prep.

The Scoop

This cheesy pasta bake just saved you from bringing a sad grocery store veggie tray to your next gathering.
If you’re looking for a dish that sneaks in green spinach while still tasting like pure comfort food, Neufchâtel cheese and melted mozzarella are doing all the heavy lifting here.
This is the only recipe you will need for feeding a crowd without spending your entire weekend in the kitchen.
Hack it:
Swap the chicken breasts for Italian sausage, rotisserie chicken, or canned chickpeas to cut down prep time and boost the flavor.
Neufchâtel already keeps things lighter than traditional cream cheese, but you can swap the pasta for chickpea or lentil penne for an extra protein and fiber boost.
Assemble the entire casserole in a foil pan up to the baking step, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months; just thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.
Sneak in extra produce by tossing finely chopped zucchini, bell peppers, or sautéed mushrooms in with the tomato sauce mixture.
Leftovers:
Make a crispy pasta skillet hash: Heat a skillet with olive oil, press leftover cold pasta bake down into a layer, and sear until the bottom forms a crispy, caramelized cheese crust.
Stuff some bell peppers: Scoop the cooled leftover bake straight into halved bell peppers, top with a little extra mozzarella, and bake at 375°F (190°C) until the peppers are tender.
Warm a portion of the bake, roll it up tight in a whole-wheat tortilla with extra spinach, and toast in a pan for a hot, portable lunch.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups penne pasta
  • 1 (9-ounce) package fresh spinach leaves
  • 1 pound chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 3/4 cups tomato and basil pasta sauce
  • 2 ounces Neufchâtel cheese, cubed
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
  • 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Grease a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
  • Cook the pasta in a large saucepan until al dente, according to the package directions. Do not salt the water.
  • In the last minute of cooking the pasta, add the spinach to cook.
  • In a large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium-high heat, add the chicken and the basil and cook for 3 minutes.
  • Stir the tomatoes and the pasta sauce into the chicken mixture.
  • Bring the chicken mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low.
  • Simmer the chicken mixture, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through at 165 degrees F, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the Neufchâtel cheese and cook until completely melted, about 1-2 minutes.
  • Drain the pasta mixture and return it to the saucepan.
  • Stir the chicken mixture and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese into the pasta mixture.
  • Spoon the pasta mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
  • Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes.
  • Top the bake with the remaining mozzarella and the parmesan cheese.
  • Bake until the mozzarella is melted, about 3 minutes.
  • Serve.
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