This quick chicken pasta casserole is made with just 4 ingredients in under 30 minutes and makes the perfect comforting weeknight meal!
Looking for something quick and easy for dinner and only requires 4 simple but Delicious ingredients? well, you’ve come to the right place.
This delicious pasta casserole is one of our favorite quick weeknight dinners. It’s super easy to make and only requires 4 ingredients to make and comes together in just 30 minutes.
What you Will Need
Pre-cooked chicken: Leftover chicken works great in this dish and is a great way to use up leftover chicken. Pre-cooked frozen chicken or Reotrtossire chicken also works perfectly.
I used chicken but that’s optional and the dish would still work very well without it. I usually use the frozen grilled chicken when making this ahead of time because I can just mix all the ingredients and place them in the casserole dish.
Pasta sauce: To bind this dish together and bring out the flavor you will need pasta sauce (aka marinara, pizza sauce). This is where you can get really creative and make the dish your own. You can use meat-based sauce or any type of pasta sauce you like.
Pasta: Rotini, penni, or any type of short cut pasta will work with this dish. Be sure to put the pasta to boil before doing anything else as it takes the longest to cook.
Cheese: Now let’s talk about the cheese. Shredded mozzarella works best for this dish to but any type of melting cheese will work. You can also top the cheese with a few tablespoons of shredded parmesan if desired.
HOW TO PREP AHEAD OF TIME
This dish is perfect if you work or go to school and don’t have lots of time to make dinner because it can be prepared ahead of time or the night before and then baked as needed. I usually prepare this dish at night and place it in the fridge and then just pop it in the oven when it was time for dinner the next day.
4 Ingredient Chicken Pasta casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups Leftover, frozen or pre-cooked chicken
- 1 Jar Marinara sauce
- 4 cups any type cooked pasta, drained
- 1-1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 9 baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Combine pre-cooked pasta, chicken, and marinara sauce; Pour into prepared baking dish.
- Top with the shredded mozzarella. Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes, or until bubbly.
- Serve Hot, Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was delicious – so easy, definitely a keeper! I found it in a search, because I had leftover rotisserie chicken, and leftover pasta (only used 1/2 package on another recipe).
Next time, however, I will mix about 1/2 cup of shredded cheese into the chicken mixture, then sprinkle the rest on top. My casserole came out a little “wet” on the bottom, and I think adding cheese in the mix will help with that. All of the cheese on top just made a crust, which was ok, but would rather have had a more bubbly texture to the top.
For those who asked – 24 oz. is more or less the standard for jars of pasta sauce – that’s what I used, and it was perfect.
Added ricotta with fire roasted tomatoes delish. Great easy recipe. Thank You!
I made this recipe for a church dinner. I even seasoned the chicken when cooking in a frying pan with a little oil and a little water. I made the pasta al dente as to keep it from getting too mushy However is was kinda dry and the chicken in my opinion doesn t add any flavor, just protein. I would much prefer, in hindsight, sausage, seasoned ground beef, or even pepperoni. I even covered it while baking and the cheese did not look like the picture. I probably won’t make it again, either. It may have been me with bigger pans of it, and the ovens at my church may be a little off from home.
You never said how big that “jar” of sauce is!
I used gluten free pasta, added chopped asparagus and peas, and at high altitude (Denver), it required an extra 15 mins to bubble, even on convection.
This is going to be dinner tonight for us I cooked a full chicken yesterday not knowing what to do with it but this is right up my street with garlic baguette cooked in the oven with sliced pepperoni and a square of cheese in each of the slits on the baguette
How many ounces of sauce is needed? What size jar or ounces?
Says a jar of marinara sauce, can you be a bit more specific, please? 2 cups, etc..
Could I use Alfredo Sauce Instead of Marinara?
How much pasta
I think the whole box
perfect recipe. i have leftover baked ranch chicken breast do you think the flavors will clash?
Delicious and so easy! My whole family loved it. I used leftover grilled chicken.
Not sure what size jar of marinara to use.
Is the sauce precooked or just poured in?
You can use jarred or pre-cooked.
I had some left over chicken and was looking for a fast and simple recipe to use it up. After failing to find a basic curry recipe, i happend across your recipe and thought yum! Not only did i make it but i enjoyed it too! So easy to make, quick and simple, and so tasty! I did use a pasta bake sauce that i found in co-op that was really creamy.
Can this be prepared and kept in the fridge for a few nights before it is put into the oven?
I made it 2 days before baking off. It was perfect.
I had some left over grilled chicken kabobs (less than what this recipe calls for, maybe only had about 1 cup), left over vegetables (grilled asparagus, corn, peas – figured I’d throw it in to make up for not enough chicken), and left over penne pasta (also not enough, about 2 cups). I didn’t have shredded mozzarella, but then I remembered I had the kids’ string cheese, so I chopped up four sticks of that and tossed it in. I only had half a jar of marinara sauce, not a whole jar. Even though I didn’t have the amounts of the ingredients this recipe called for, I tossed all the above together, topped it with shredded Parmesan, put it in the oven, and crossed my fingers. It was delicious!! The kids loved it and went up for seconds! I was not expecting it to be such a hit, and I used up all our leftovers to boot! Thx so much for this recipe! I’ll definitely make this again!
How many does this feed please?
The recipe serves 4.
Clarification please… ingredients states “cooked pasta” but instructions says “Pre cooked” When mixed is the pasta already cooked?
Yes, the pasta is first cooked aldente then added.
4 Ingredient Chicken Pasta Casserole, was fast and my family loved it. I used less mozzarella cheese to cut down on salt and it was still delicious. if you work and have little time to cook, this is one of the dishes that is great to prepare.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, nancy! So happy you enjoyed it <3
Can this be done with leftover meat balls? Made it with the chicken – delicious.
Just tried this recipe and it was AMAZING. Super easy to make and as an added bonus it’s easy on the budget. A winner in more ways than one. Thank you!!
I love how simple this is. I will be pinning for the next time I have some leftover chicken. I may just make chicken to have this for dinner. Yum!
Thanks for the pin Cindy!
I can never have enough cheap, easy dinner ideas! This looks so cheesy and delicious!
Me too, Thank you Ashley! 🙂
WOW cheesy pics!! Those are awesome! And 4 ingredients for a dinner – totally on board! Love how easy and delicious you’ve made this meal Layla! Pinned!
Thank you Chelsea!
Oooh! Your cheesy chicken pasta looks divine, Layla! I’ve been craving cheesy pasta like a beast lately. This recipe of yours is so quick and easy. Perfect to scratch my itch!
I’m sure your going to love it Stacy!
I can’t believe this only has 4 ingredients. Love quick and easy meals ! The cheese is making me drool!
Thanks Christin! Have a great weekend! 🙂
*Dies* How on Earth can this stuff look this awesome??
4 ingredients?! That’s amazing- I love quick dinners and using minimal ingredients. The stringy mozzarella looks super good too!
I’m glad you like it Jessica! anything with 5 ingredients or less is great!
Oh boy, this looks amazing Layla! Love all the gooey cheese in here and with only 4 ingredients? Sounds perfect to me 🙂
Thanks Kelly! 🙂
Looks delicious! With only four ingredients! 🙂 ela
Thanks Ella!:D
4 ingredients AND it looks fabulous!? I’m SO in! 🙂
What a wonderfully simple and DELICIOUS casserole!!! It’s so pretty and creamy and cheeeeesy!
Thank you Kayle! 😀
I’m just sitting here drooling at the screen. This looks super tasty and it comes together so easy. Bonus! Defo saving this for a midweek lunch.
Thanks Rochelle! I’m glad you liked it!