Dump-And-Bake Caprese Chicken Casserole

The easiest Dump-And-Bake Caprese Chicken Casserole. Fresh ingredients assembled and baked in one single pan for an effortless dinner your family will love.

What You’ll Love About Caprese Chicken Casserole:

All the flavors of classic caprese in a super easy dump-and-bake casserole. Each bite has tender pasta, chicken, tomatoes, cheese, garlic, and fresh basil. The flavors are so fresh it’s like a burst of summer.

My favorite thing about making this recipe is, well, pretty much everything! This dish takes 10-minutes to prepare and assemble in the pan, it’s delicious, and the clean-up is next to nothing! A moms dream at meal time.

For a lighter option, try my 20-Minute Caprese Chicken. This can be grilled, baked, or pan fried.

What Does Caprese Mean?

The Italians call it Insalata caprese, which means salad of Capri. Simple ingredients using fresh tomato, mozzarella, and basil.

Simple Ingredients:

Chicken– We use chicken breasts for a lighter option but feel free to use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
Canned tomatoes– I like to find the canned tomatoes seasoned with garlic, basil, and oregano to add even more flavor.
Pasta– Any medium shaped pasta will work. Penne, spiral, corkscrew, or bowtie.
Chicken broth– You’ll want to use a good quality chicken stock or broth. I love the Better Than Bouillon brand for the best flavor.
Fresh garlic– Use as little or as much as you like.
Seasonings- Kosher salt and black pepper.
Mozzarella cheese- A classic caprese ingredient.
Fresh basil– Adds a fresh aromatic flavor.
Balsamic glaze– This is optional but a fun ingredient to drizzle over the top for a burst of flavor. Nonna Pias is my favorite brand.

How To Make Dump-And-Bake Caprese Chicken Casserole:

Step One. Preheat oven to 425℉ and spray a deep 9×13 inch casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Step Two. To the casserole dish add chicken, tomatoes, pasta, chicken broth, garlic and seasonings, part of the mozzarella cheese, and part of the basil. Stir to combine.

Step Three. Cover the pan tightly with foil and place in the oven for 40-45 minutes. Remove the foil and check to see if the pasta is cooked to your liking. Give it a good stir. If your pasta needs more time, cover and place back in the oven and check every 10-minutes until done.

Step Four. When pasta is cooked to your preference, sprinkle the top with additional cheese and place in the oven uncovered for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Allow to rest 10-minutes before serving and garnish the top with remaining fresh basil.

Common Questions:

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy:

• The Best Bruschetta
• Bruschetta Pasta Salad
• Chicken Noodle Casserole
• Low-Carb King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Dump-And-Bake Caprese Chicken Casserole

The easiest Dump-And-Bake Caprese Chicken Casserole. Fresh ingredients assembled and baked in one single pan for an effortless dinner your family will love.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 5 servings

Calories: 542kcal

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut in bite size pieces, about 2 medium chicken breast
• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with their juice I use canned tomatoes seasoned with garlic, basil, and oregano
• 3 cups uncooked pasta, such as spiral or penne
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped basil, divided
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
• 3 cups chicken stock
• non-stick cooking spray
• balsamic glaze optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425℉ and spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

• To the casserole dish add chicken, tomatoes, pasta, garlic and seasonings, chicken stock, 1/2 of the basil, and 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella. Stir to combine.
• Cover the pan tightly with foil and place in the oven for 40-45 minutes. Remove the foil and check to see if the pasta is cooked to your liking. Give it a good stir. If your pasta needs more time, cover and place back in the oven and check every 10-minutes until done.
• When pasta is cooked to your preference, sprinkle the top with additional cheese and place in the oven uncovered for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Allow to rest 10-minutes before serving and garnish the top with remaining fresh basil.

Notes

Common Questions-

 

Is it normal to have extra liquid when the casserole is finish cooking?

Yes! A little liquid is actually good because the pasta will continue to absorb it which prevents the pasta from becoming dry.

Can I use pre-cooked chicken?

Yes! If you have leftover chicken this is a great recipe for that. Follow the steps exactly using your cooked chicken.

Can I freeze this casserole for a make-ahead meal?

I have not tested this casserole from the freezer, but I find that pastas dishes like this reheated from the freezer tend to be on the dry side and the texture is a different.

What extra veggies can I add to the casserole?

Spinach, zucchini, and small broccoli florets will work in this recipe. If using spinach or zucchini I would wait until the last 30-minutes of cooking time to stir them in.

 

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be understood as an estimate rather than a guarantee. The Menu Maid makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 542kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 829mg | Potassium: 684mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 462IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 256mg | Iron: 2mg

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