Listen, some weeknights you just don’t have the energy for complicated recipes that involve three pots and a spice grinder, right? I totally get it! That’s why I had to share my absolute favorite way to put dinner on the table fast: this incredible Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake. Seriously, this casserole is what my family asks for when they want comfort food but I need speed. It’s the ultimate easy, cheesy, veggie-loaded bake, and trust me, once you slide this Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake into the oven, your whole house will smell like pure happiness. It’s my secret weapon for surviving busy Tuesdays, and it uses ingredients I usually already have hanging around!
Why This Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake Is a Weeknight Hero
When the day has been long and you just want something warm and satisfying in under an hour, this recipe sings! It’s truly designed for busy people who love real, home-cooked flavor. If you’ve ever needed some cheesy inspiration, check out my Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole for another easy win!
Quick Prep Time for Your Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake
You are going to love this part. Seriously, we’re talking just about 15 minutes of actual hands-on time before this goes into the oven to do its own magic. That’s less time than it takes to decide what streaming service to watch!
Simple Ingredients for the Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake
This isn’t one of those recipes that requires you to run to three different specialty stores. Most of what you need—pasta, soup, maybe some cheddar—is probably already sitting in your pantry right now. It’s just good, honest food.
Ultimate Comfort Food Factor
When it bakes up, the cheese melts into that creamy sauce and coats every piece of pasta and vegetable perfectly. It just feels like a hug in a bowl. If you’re picturing gooey, bubbling cheese, you are dreaming correctly!
Gathering Ingredients for the Perfect Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake
Okay, before we dive into the actual oven time, let’s make sure we have our supplies ready! Having everything measured out and prepped makes the cooking process flow so smoothly. Trust me on this—prepping first minimizes frantic searching later. You’ll need about a pound of your favorite sturdy pasta, like penne or rotini, cooked just to that perfect al dente stage. For the veggies, chop up one medium onion and mince two cloves of garlic. Then, grab one cup of carrots that you’ve neatly sliced, and a cup of beautiful broccoli florets.
The creamy sauce base comes together easily with one (14.5 ounce!) can of diced tomatoes—and make sure they’re undrained because we want all that juice! Then you’ll need that classic 10.5 ounce can of cream of chicken soup and one full cup of nice, cold milk. We finish this off with about a cup of shredded cheddar cheese on top, plus salt and pepper since we have to season everything properly. When you’re done gathering, you can check out my main Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake post for printables!
Essential Equipment for Making Your Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake
You don’t need a massive arsenal of gadgets for this one, which is another reason I love it so much! You will, of course, need a large pot to cook that pasta until it’s perfectly al dente. For combining everything, a big, sturdy skillet is crucial—that’s where we’ll build most of our flavor right on the stovetop. And finally, you have to have a 9×13 inch baking dish ready to go so we can top it with cheese and pop it right into the hot oven!
Step-by-Step Instructions for Your Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake
Alright, this is where the magic really happens! Since we prepped everything earlier, this process is going to feel like smooth sailing. If you want to see this recipe done with a totally different cheesy vibe, take a peek at my tips for the Creamy Cheesy Beef Rigatoni with Rotel Sauce—it uses a similar assembly style!
Prep Work and Cooking the Pasta for the Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake
First things first, make sure your oven is preheated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit—we want it nice and hot! While that’s warming up, grab your 9×13 inch baking dish and give it a light coating of oil or cooking spray so nothing sticks later. Now for the pasta: get a big pot of salty water boiling and cook your penne or rotini until it’s just shy of done—that’s al dente, folks! When it’s ready, drain it really, really well. I mean it, drain it well!
Sautéing Aromatics and Vegetables for the Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake
Grab a big skillet and drizzle in that tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Toss in your chopped onion first and let it soften up until it’s fragrant and clear, which takes about five minutes. Next up, throw in your minced garlic and those sliced carrots—keep stirring those around for another five minutes so the carrots start to get tender. Right at the end, add your broccoli florets and cook them just until they turn bright green, maybe three more minutes. We don’t want them mushy yet, remember they are still going into the oven!
Creating the Creamy Sauce Base for the Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake
Now we make the sauce! Pour in the undrained canned diced tomatoes, followed by that can of cream of chicken soup, and splash in the milk. Give it a good stir until everything looks smooth and combined into one thick, cozy sauce. This is important: once it’s mixed, take the whole skillet right off the heat. You don’t want to cook the chicken and pasta in the sauce yet—we’re just mixing it up before the final assembly.
Assembling and Baking the Final Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake
Off the heat, stir in your two cups of cooked, shredded chicken and all that drained pasta we set aside earlier. Taste it now! Add salt and pepper until it tastes just right for you. Spoon that whole wonderful mixture into your greased baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Now, for the best part: sprinkle the cup of shredded cheddar cheese right over the top! Pop it into that hot oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. You are looking for the cheese to be completely melted, bubbly, and maybe just starting to get a little golden brown on the edges.
Expert Tips for the Best Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake
I’ve made this so many times now that I feel like I know exactly how to tweak it without ruining the fundamental comfort-food vibe. It’s important to know what you can swap out when you’re in a pinch! If you’re looking for a richer sauce than the standard recipe calls for, definitely try using half-and-half instead of plain milk—it makes a huge difference in creaminess. You can also check out my thoughts on making a different kind of creamy dish in my post about the Creamy Chicken Pasta with White Wine Parmesan Sauce.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Your Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake
Remember how I talked about flexibility? Feel free to swap out the carrots or broccoli for any firm vegetable you have lying around. Cauliflower works surprisingly well, or even some frozen peas tossed in near the end are fine. Speaking of speed, if you didn’t cook chicken beforehand, honestly, just grab a rotisserie chicken! Shredding that saves about ten minutes right there. Just stir the shredded meat in when you add the soup mixture, just before the final bake.
Storage and Reheating Your Leftover Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake
This bake is honestly even better the next day—if you have any left, that is! Once it’s completely cooled down, scoop the remainder into an airtight container. It keeps perfectly well in the fridge for about three to four days. Don’t worry about it drying out; the creamy sauce tends to keep everything moist.
When you’re ready for round two, I actually prefer gentle reheating. Popping a serving in the microwave for a minute or two works if you are in a huge rush, but I think covering the dish with foil and reheating it in a 350-degree oven is best. That way, the cheese gets soft and gooey again without scorching the edges. It keeps that casserole charm!
Frequently Asked Questions About the Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake
I always get a ton of questions once people try this recipe for the first time, which just tells me everyone loves a good, easy casserole! Since we’re talking comfort food here, here are a few things I hear most often about making sure this Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake turns out perfectly cheesy every single time.
Can I use different types of pasta in this Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake?
Absolutely! Don’t feel locked into just penne or rotini. This recipe is wonderful with almost any medium-sized, sturdy pasta shape because they do such a great job of cradling that creamy sauce. Shells, medium egg noodles, or even rotini that you find in my Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe post work beautifully for soaking up all that flavor.
How can I make this Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake spicier?
That’s a fun idea! If you like a little kick in your Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake, I usually recommend adding about half a teaspoon of red pepper flakes right when you add the garlic and carrots to the skillet. You can also just stir in a dash or two of your favorite bottled hot sauce when you mix the soup and milk. It blends right in without changing the texture one bit!
Can I make this Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake ahead of time?
You certainly can assemble it ahead of time, which is a lifesaver! Just follow every step right up until the cheese goes on top. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to bake, add the cheese and bake it a little longer—maybe an extra 5 or 10 minutes—since it’s starting cold. If you are looking for other make-ahead comfort meals, you should check out my Walking Taco Casserole!
Estimated Nutritional Snapshot for This Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake
Now, I always tell folks not to worry too much about tracking every single calorie when you’re tackling comfort food like this, but sometimes you just want a general idea, right? These numbers are just an estimate based on the ingredients I used, so think of them as a helpful guideline rather than strict gospel truth for your amazing Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake.
For one hearty serving from this recipe, here’s what you are generally looking at:
- Calories: About 450
- Protein: A solid 35 grams!
- Total Fat: Around 15 grams
- Carbohydrates: Roughly 45 grams
- Sodium: Around 650 mg
It’s a pretty balanced meal for a weeknight casserole, packing in good protein from the chicken and some fiber from all those veggies we packed in there!
Share Your Perfect Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake Experience
Well, that’s it! We’ve taken simple ingredients, mixed them with a little warmth, and created what I firmly believe is the best Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake recipe out there for a busy night. Now, the only thing left is for you to try it out and tell me all about it!
I absolutely live for seeing your kitchen creations! Did you stick exactly to the recipe, or did you sneak in some mushrooms or maybe try a different cheese blend? Don’t be shy—I want to hear all the details! Snap a picture of that beautiful, golden, bubbly bake and tag me so I can admire your work!
If you’ve already tried this out, please, please, please take a moment to leave a star rating right here on the page. Those ratings really help other busy cooks decide if they should trust my recipe, and your feedback helps me know if I need to clarify anything in the instructions. If you have questions, even the silly ones, drop me a line through my Contact Page. Happy baking, everyone!
Print
Chicken Vegetables Pasta Bake
- Total Time: 45 min
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Low Fat
Description
A simple baked pasta dish featuring chicken and mixed vegetables.
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta (penne or rotini)
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain well.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and carrots to the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the broccoli florets and cook for 3 more minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes, cream of chicken soup, and milk to the skillet. Stir until combined.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the cooked chicken and the drained pasta. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the dish is heated through.
Notes
- You can substitute any firm vegetable you prefer for the carrots or broccoli.
- For a richer flavor, use half-and-half instead of milk.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Unsaturated Fat: 8
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 35
- Cholesterol: 75
Keywords: chicken, pasta, bake, casserole, vegetables, cheesy, comfort food