Ready for an easy and delicious pasta bake? This Chicken Florentine Casserole recipe is one of the best yet from the Good Cheap Eats kitchen. My kids were practically licking their plates clean.
You’ll love this easy pasta casserole made from boneless chicken breast, tender pasta, a creamy white sauce, and spinach, topped with a lid of gruyere cheese and buttered panko bread crumbs.
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If you’re a lazy cook, you’ve come to the right place. I love to make delicious food with as little effort as possible. Sure, there are fancy dishes that take hours, but why spend the time when you can morph the basic ingredients into a filling meal that’s just as delicious?
My Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe is proof-positive!
Such is my theory with Chicken Florentine as well. The classic French dish features breaded chicken breast in a creamy sauce on a base of cooked spinach. I’ve taken those delicious components and combined them along with campanelle, a pasta shaped like the floral emblem of Florence into one delicious casserole.
Why Make My Chicken Florentine Casserole Recipe
It’s easy. Seriously, even though you’ll make the white sauce from scratch, it takes just minutes and is totally worth it. This casserole is easy to make for busy weeknights but is special enough to serve to company.
It’s very make-ahead. You can prep this yummy one-dish dinner a few days in advance or stash it in the freezer for a future night’s dinner. It’s also tasty enough to serve at game night.
It’s all whole foods. While you could use a can of cream of mushroom soup or a jar of alfredo sauce, using whole foods and making this great recipe from scratch gives it all a fresher flavor.
It’s delicious. Don’t let this easy recipe fool you. It’s amazingly flavorful and will have you and your whole family licking your plates clean! The tender chicken chunks in a sauced pasta is out of this world delicious, making it one of my favorite casserole recipes.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this creamy Chicken Florentine Casserole recipe:
short pasta – I chose to use campanelle pasta which is shaped like bell flowers, but feel free to use your favorite small pasta shape, like penne or rigatoni.
cooked chicken – This is a great recipe to use pre-cooked chicken breasts or a rotisserie chicken. You can also use leftover turkey from a holiday meal.
spinach – Spinach is one of the characteristics of a Florentine dish, like in my Quiche Florentine. I use chopped fresh spinach but you can also use a frozen box of spinach provided you thaw and squeeze it dry before adding it to the casserole.
onion and garlic – I love the flavor that fresh garlic and onion bring to this dish. If you like you can also added chopped fresh mushrooms when you cook the onions and garlic.
white sauce – For the homemade white sauce, you’ll need unbleached, all-purpose flour, butter, milk, salt, and black pepper. Feel free to make a large batch of my white sauce recipe and freeze it in 2-cup portions to save time later. Isn’t it awesome that you don’t need heavy cream or sour cream to make it creamy?
Gruyere cheese – while you may be used to mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese in your pasta bakes, gruyere cheese is traditional so I’ve included it in this Chicken Florentine Pasta Casserole. It’s amazingly flavorful! You can use another cheese or a blend of cheeses if you prefer.
panko bread crumbs and more butter – This makes a nice crunchy lid on the casserole, similar to what you’d have in the original recipe for this traditional breaded chicken dish.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to make this easy one-dish casserole:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Rinse and drain.
Prep sauce: Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large pot or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until clear. Add the flour and garlic and stir until bubbling. Add the milk and season to taste with salt and pepper. Allow the sauce to simmer until thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes.
If the pot is large enough, you can mix everything in the pot. If not, in a large bowl, combine the pasta, sauce, chicken, spinach, and 2 cups of the cheese. Stir gently to combine and spoon into the prepared baking dish.
In a small microwave-safe dish, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the bread crumbs.
Top the casserole with the remaining 1 cup cheese and the buttered bread crumbs.
Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
To Make Ahead: assemble according to the recipe and store the uncooked casserole in the fridge until ready to bake. Alternatively, you can freeze the casserole for a later day. Just thaw it overnight prior to baking.
Serving Suggestions: Serve Chicken Florentine Casserole as you would any other pasta bake, with a simple side salad or cooked vegetable and garlic bread or rolls on the side.
How to Make a Meal Prep: You can assemble the casserole in single-serve containers for meal prep. Just be sure that the dishes are oven safe. Bake and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Otherwise, divide the baked larger casserole into portions into meal-prep containers. Refrigerate as directed.
Make a Plan for Leftovers: Leftover casserole is delicious reheated the next day. Promptly refrigerate leftovers and use within 4 days. Remember that food should not be left at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.
More Great Pasta Bakes
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Chicken Florentine Casserole
Equipment
- sauce pan
- wire whisk
- heavy stockpot
- 9×13-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 lb campanelle pasta or other short noodle
- 8 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 6 tablespoon unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 2 clove garlic peeled and sliced
- 4 cup milk
- salt
- black pepper
- 4 cup chicken (cooked and cubed) or leftover cooked turkey or chicken
- 3 cup chopped spinach
- 3 cups gruyere cheese (shredded)
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Rinse and drain.1 lb campanelle pasta
- Prep sauce: Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large pot or saucepan. Add the onion and saute until clear. Add the flour and garlic and stir until bubbling. Add the milk and season to taste with salt and pepper. Allow the sauce to simmer until thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes.8 tablespoon butter, 1 cup onion, 2 clove garlic, 6 tablespoon unbleached, all-purpose flour, 4 cup milk, salt, black pepper
- If the pot is large enough, you can mix everything in the pot. If not, in a large mixing bowl, combine the pasta, sauce, chicken, spinach, and 2 cups of the cheese. Stir gently to combine and spoon into the prepared baking dish.4 cup chicken (cooked and cubed), 3 cup chopped spinach, 3 cups gruyere cheese (shredded)
- In a small microwave-safe dish, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the bread crumbs.½ cup panko bread crumbs
- Top the casserole with the remaining 1 cup cheese and the buttered bread crumbs.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Notes
- I use chopped fresh spinach but you can also use a frozen box of spinach provided you thaw and squeeze it dry before adding it to the casserole.
- To save time, consider making a bulk batch of the white sauce to freeze for another time.
- To freeze this casserole: wrap and chill in the fridge, unbaked. Once cold through, store in the freezer for up to 6 weeks. To serve, thaw completely in the refrigerator and bake as directed.
