Homemade creamy chicken rotini casserole made with fresh ingredients to create a cheesy white sauce. This recipe can be enjoyed the day you make it or is perfect for the freezer for a future meal. Serve alongside steamed vegetables.
This deliciously creamy recipe is the perfect recipe for dinner. Casseroles are a staple in our home during these months, and this recipe with its depth of flavor from the seasonings and red pepper did not disappoint.
Chicken Rotini Ingredients
- 16 oz rotini pasta
- chicken
- red pepper
- green pepper
- flour
- half and half
- butter
- chicken bouillon
- salt
- pepper
- dried basil
- dried oregano
- parmesan cheese
There a couple of ways to prepare the chicken. You can cook it the night before in the crockpot, or by boiling the chicken. The way I’ve been doing it lately is the lazy way. I buy the deboned rotisserie chicken at Costco. It has been such a time saver for recipes like this. That being said, you could use rotisserie chicken as well.
How to Make Chicken Rotini
- Cook rotini pasta using package directions until tender. Drain.
- Add butter to a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted add diced peppers. Cook until tender.
- Add flour to peppers and stir. Over medium heat, add half and half and chicken broth. (Made with water and chicken bouillon.). Add seasonings and stir. Bring to boil and let simmer until thick.
- In a large pan, combine rotini, sauce, and chicken. Add parmesan cheese and stir. Top with additional parmesan cheese. Add to the baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 350˚ F. Serve warm.
This chicken rotini is delicious comfort food. It was a big hit with my family as I’m sure it will be with yours.
Chicken Rotini Tips and Techniques:
Freezer Cooking: If making this for the freezer. Complete all directions except for baking and freeze in well covered baking dish. When ready to enjoy, let thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as directed.
Thick Sauce Tips: It’s really important to let the flour really soak into the peppers before you add the half and half and chicken broth. You are creating a roux that will bring a flavorful sauce. Let thicken before adding to other ingredients. It will take about 10 minutes of simmering over medium heat. Stir constantly as you don’t want the milk to overboil and spill over your pan.
Chicken Broth: I highly recommend Better than Bouillon to make your chicken broth. I keep mine in the refrigerator ready to use whenever I need it!
Other Chicken Casseroles
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Chicken Rotini Casserole
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
Description
Chicken rotini casserole made with pasta, a homemade creamy sauce and peppers. Make your own roux to create this thick creamy dinner casserole.
Ingredients
- 16 oz. rotini pasta
- 3 Cups chicken, cooked and diced or shredded
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon chicken bouillon
- 2 Cups water
- 1 Cup half and half
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 + 1/3 Cups parmesan
Instructions
- Cook and dice chicken. Boil water and cook the Rotini pasta. Drain.
- Saute diced peppers in butter over medium heat. Add flour and stir. Then add half and half and water and bouillon. Add salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Bring to boil and lower heat to simmer until thick and creamy.
- Combine chichen, homemade sauce, rotini noodles and parmesan cheese. Mix and then add to 13×9 baking dish. Bake at 350˚ F for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Top with parmesan cheese and serve.
Notes
Freezer Cooking: If making this for the freezer. Complete all directions except for baking and freeze in well covered baking dish. When ready to enjoy, let thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as directed.
Thick Sauce Tips: It’s really important to let the flour really soak into the peppers before you add the half and half and chicken broth. You are creating a roux that will bring a flavorful sauce. Let thicken before adding to other ingredients. It will take about 10 minutes of simmering over medium heat. Stir constantly as you don’t want the milk to overboil and spill over your pan.
Chicken Broth: I highly recommend purchase Better than Bouillon to make your chicken broth. I keep mine in the refrigerator ready to use whenever I need it! If you don’t have it, you can just use 2 cups of chicken broth. Just keep in mind, the type of chicken broth will affect the flavor so taste test the sauce.
- Category: Casserole
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cup
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 2.9
- Sodium: 366.8
- Fat: 6.4
- Carbohydrates: 32.7
- Protein: 23.7
- Cholesterol: 60.5
Keywords: chicken rotini, chicken rotini casserole
This recipe was originally published in 2014. It has been updated to reflect better pictures as well as recipe.
I just tried this out because I was looking for easy freezer meals for my order of Zaycon chicken.
Turned out great! I ended up adding some fresh minced garlic and red onion to the sauce and a little salt and pepper to taste and it was sooooo good! Bought a bunch of foil loaf type pans from dollar tree and stashed away 6 of them in the freezer. Thanks for the great recipe!!!