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I must tell you, this is one of my favorite dishes to make when we’re having company over. It’s tried & true and from the kitchen of my blog partner, Jessica, of course. I love this dish for company because you can cook & chop the chicken as well as cutting up several other ingredients in advance plus it has beautiful presentation. Added bonus: I frequently get asked for the recipe. Hope you all enjoy this dish, too!
Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake
- 8 oz uncooked rigatoni
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 c chopped onion
- 1 (10 oz) pack frozen spinach, thawed
- 3 c cubed, cooked chicken breasts
- 1 (14 oz) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (8 oz) container Philadelphia chive & onion cream cheese
- ½ t salt, ½ t pepper
- 1½ c shredded mozzarella cheese
Prepare rigatoni according to pkg directions. Spread oil on bottom of 11×7 in baking dish; add onion in a single layer. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or just until tender. Transfer onion to large bowl, set aside.
Drain chopped spinach well, pressing between paper towels. Stir in rigatoni, spinach, chicken, & next 4 ingredients into onion in bowl. Spoon mixture into dish & sprinkle evenly with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake covered at 375 for 30 minutes; uncover & bake 15 more minutes or until bubbly.
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wow, that looks yummy! will have to try it for sure! thanks for sharing the recipe!
that looks soooooo delicious!!!!!
WOW! I am SO going to make this. Saw your link on Girl Creative and it was enticing looking.
Seriously though, thank you! I need some new recipes.
WOW!! This looks so wonderful!!! Please come over to Midcvhix and link this recipe up in the Mama Can Cook Flock!http://www.midchix.com/
This looks so delicious! Found you from Blue Cricket.. can't wait to look through your blog!
This looks very delicous! I'm going to try it for Sunday dinner.
Yummy. I think I'll have to try this.
Looks delicious and pretty easy too!
OMGoodness that is devine looking!!! I've saved it for sometime soon, thanks!Stopping by from TMTT
Hi I plan on making this meal in 2 days. Do you think I could switch the frozen spinach for fresh? I have a whole bag of fresh spinach I'm trying to use up. Do you think if I saute it a bit to get it a little wilted I could fold it into the recipe? Thanks for your help
)Carin
HiHow did you cook your chicken for this recipe.
I just made this dis, very yummy !! I just diced the chicken & cooked it in a skillet with a bit of olive oil.
This looks so good! Totally keeping this one! Thanks!
Yes, please! This looks like something we would love! Adding to my list of recipes to try!
Delicious — I love that cream cheese, so I'm guessing this will be fantastic.
We just made a version of this for dinner and enjoyed it very much! We used tri-color rotini for the pasta
Just made it, yumm!
made it last night and it was wayyyy even better for lunch today! the flavors really matured overnight and it was a treat. thank you for sharing!
So glad you guys have made it and loved it. It's definitely a staple at our house, especially when we have company!
That was amazing!!! Thank you so much. It's something that looks pretty fancy but is so tasty and simple.
Thanks for the recipe. It came out realllly goood. Just wondering what can I do to make it little more creamier?
This is definintely a keeper! I have to admit I was a little skeptical that the cream cheese was not going to cover while putting it all together, but it was perfect! By the way, I didn't have chive and onion cream cheese, so I used regular cream cheese and added a little bit of ranch seasoning and it still turned out. (whew!). By the way, to make it creamier, I would try mixing some ricotta in if you don't want to just use more cream cheese.
Going to try this soon, it looks and sounds GREAT!
I just tried this tonight…DELISH! Thanks for sharing!
does this freeze well?
Made this with fresh spinach and a block of plain cream cheese – still wonderful and no corn syrup or MSG. yay!
Glad to hear you all are enjoying the recipe!! I've never frozen it, but I would assume it would work well. Let us know if you try it!
how do you cook the chicken for this recipe??
Hi Gloria, we usually just saute or boil the chicken.
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Made this tonight…. thanks for the yummy recipe!
I just found this recipe…and then read your about me. I just happen to be an ADPi from Iowa.
I live in Texas now and serve as an advisor. Fabulous blog, can't wait to look around more!
Thanks for your comment, Stephanie! Too fun.
Pi love <>
This was fantastic. I should have doubled the sauce (and will next time) as I used a whole box of rigatoni, but even at that it was delicious. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
I cooked this for dinner last night and it was delicious! Mt fiancee went so far as to say it was the best thing I'd cooked all year. I used plain, light cream cheese and added fresh, chopped chives on top of the cheese. I also used a big bunch of fresh spinach that I chopped up and mixed in with the chicken mix. It cooked perfectly in the the oven. Thanks so much for the recipe. This will definitely be a staple from now on.
I just made this and it was great!! i'm in college so im on a really tight budget and all the ingredients (excluding the chicken which i already had frozen in my freezer) were only $7.00!! so delicious and shared it with my roommates and still have plenty for lunch tomorrow with my boyfriend. thank you!
Just made this…so good! Taking leftovers to work tomorrow. Thanks!
This was dinner last night and it was great! Thanks so much for sharing such a wonderful recipe. This is certainly going onto our list of regularly cooked dinners.
I made this using ground turkey instead. SOOOO GOOOD!
I was thinking of using ground turkey also. Glad you tried it and now I know it will be a great substitute. I also have fresh spinach and saw where someone tried that! Can’t wait to make it tonight!
Yumm looks so easy and good! This will be perfect for a weeknight meal
Found this recipe via Pinterest. I've got it in the oven as I type! Can't wait to eat it!!
I am making this right now! It looks so good i can't wait to try it. Thank you for the recipe.
So so glad you guys are changing it to your tastes and trying new things and then sharing them so we can all learn from your experiments.
We are so glad you've found our blog and took the time to comment! Please follow our blog and stay in touch! 
Just made it and it is great!!!!!!!!!!!!
How many servings are in this recipe? I'd love to make this for a party next week. We are expecting 20 guests…
Me and my college friends recently had a potluck and I made this and they LOVED it. I left out the chicken though cause I'm a vegetarian.
I made this last night and my family just devoured it! Next time I'll double it so we have enough for lunches.
I just made this. It was very good; however, I recommend using 12oz of pasta instead of 8oz.
I made this and it was very dry.
What's the serving size? I am trying to find a meal to serve my book club…about 10 people.Thanks!
Good question Lisa. I asked that days ago. I would like to make this for 20 guests…
Lisa, it should serve between 8-10 people. Anonymous, if you double the recipe and serve some heavy side dishes, you should be good to go. Sorry it took a while to get back to you….I've been very busy with my full time job and haven't been as on the comments as usual for my personal blog.
I made this the other night and though the flavor was great, we found it too dry also. I was so paranoid about getting all the excess moisture out of the spinach…maybe I'll leave some in next time, or not drain the tomatoes?
I wouldn’t drain the tomato’s. I made this last night, and did a full box of pasta 16oz and it wasn’t dry. VERY GOOD
This looks delicious! I just found your site through Pinterest. Pin! I am also happy to be a new follower.
Thanks, Erin & welcome!! Anonymous, I've never had an issue with dryness in this recipe but I would think that what you suggested could help with the moistness issue you are experiencing. Good luck!
I would like to profusely thank you for posting this recipe. I found it through Pinterest…and it got my daughter to eat spinach and onions, which she cannot stand!!!! Score! My husband and I liked it very much too
A YUMMY CASSEROLE… NEXT TIME I WOULD ADD THE JUICE OF THE TOMATOES FOR MOISTURE, 1 TSP SALT INSTEAD OF ½ TSP,1 C. FETA CHEESE CRUMBLED & MIXED IN, PARMESAN CHEESE SPRINKLED FAIRLY LIBERALLY OVER TOP AND THEN THE MOZZARELLA CHEESE FOR A LIL' MORE ZIPPITY DO DA DAY!!!
Made this tonight for dinner, it was amazing!
Hi, looks so yummy! Saw you on pinterest. could you pretty, please send me an invite?
katieohlhaut@gmail.com
Hi, looks so yummy! Saw you on pinterest. could you pretty, please send me an invite?
katieohlhaut@gmail.com
This is in the oven right now. YUMMY.
http://www.savingmoneylivinglife.com/2010/06/chicken-spinach-pasta-bake.html
Dit lijkt me echt een lekker en snel ovenrecept: spinazie met kip en pasta http://t.co/LPd3ybNE
http://www.savingmoneylivinglife.com/2010/06/chicken-spinach-pasta-bake.html
I made this tonight, it was a huge hit! so delicious! can’t wait to make it again!
[...] recipes that included chicken and spinach….two items already in my fridge. I came across http://www.savingmoneylivinglife.com/2010/06/chicken-spinach-pasta-bake.html and the wheels started spinning. Since I’m TRYING to eat less carbs, I decided to modify [...]
[...] here is one of my favorite recent recipes. Perhaps not the healthiest, but it was easy and truly tasty. [...]
[...] or really most pasta dishes are fairly easy to make. I'm sure you could figure something like this out. It just depends on how picky you really are about certain things. Search the internet for [...]
Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake: http://t.co/Niznk4iN
This looks really yummy! I have some leftover turkey that I might have to try this with and with a husband on a low sodium diet pretty sure this will work out for that also.
recipe
This is the most amazing recipe, I have made it 3 times since discovering it only about a week ago. I made it for a friend who just had surgery, and her husband returned the empty dish less than 24 hrs. later. I decided to try it, and because I don’t like onions, I skipped that step for myself. LOVED IT, and so did my family! Then, tonight, I had some extra broccoli from leftovers and swiss cheese (my favorite!). I added garlic this time, and we have a winner! THIS WILL BE A FAMILY FAVORITE FOR YEARS TO COME! Thanks
Wow, we love hearing that, Megan! We hope you continue to read our blog for many years to come as well and share with your friends and family.
I made this last week. Actually ended up making two versions: 1 for my picky girls that didnt include the onions and spinach, and 1 prepared just as the recipe states, but we added some sliced mushrooms. It was DELICIOUS!!! Will def be making this again! Thanks for sharing!
I would make it WITHOUT draining the tomato’s. Takes all the flavor out as well. Worked great with a full box of noddles.
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS AND EASY TO MAKE!! YUMMY!!
PS I made it with ground turkey instead of chicken breasts!
[...] for ours!!! It's in the oven right now Trying out a new recipe*Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake. Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake – Saving Money Living Life [...]
Is the dish size in your recipe correct? Seems like it should be 11×7, not 11×17.
Just finishing up now and putting in the oven. Can’t wait to try it. YUM!!!!
I made this last night, my boyfriend and I LOVED it! We almost finished the whole dish!!
I made this last night – it was delicious!!! My boyfriend really enjoyed it, too. I made a slight variation: instead of 3 cups of chicken I added 1 cup and doubled the amount of noodles. I added a little store-bought red sauce to insure that the dish wouldn’t dry out – it was wonderful and very filling! Thank you!
Thank you, thank you for sharing such an amazing recipe! I made it yesterday and everyone absolutely L O V E D it. They devoured the whole entire dish for dinner. I’m making it again for dinner tonight! Instead of chicken I used shrimp. I also used fresh tomato, spinach and basil instead of frozen or canned. I’ll definitely be making it for years to come! everyone kept commenting that it tasted like a pasta dish they’d have at an expensive Italian restaurant. I think next time I’ll add mushroom, as well. My sister in law who doesnt like tomato ate it all up. Thanks again for such a wonderful recipe. Have a blessed day.
Tried this tonight! It was VERY good. My husband ate two helpings and I’m sure the leftovers will be good too! Thanks for sharing. I took a shortcut by using the meat from a cooked whole chicken bought from the grocery delicatessen. Worked great!!
Can this be made in advance? I was thinking about making it for a social in a couple of days.
)
Yes, for sure! Enjoy it!
going to try this over the week-end
I have made this numerous times and we absolutely love it. However, I always have to add more tomatoes or it ends up really dry. You haven’t had this problem???
Hi Aimee, I’ve never had this problem. I have seen other people say in the comments they have…maybe it’s my oven?
[...] {source} [...]
made this last night and it was so good! Beautiful dish too. I would only add one more container of cream cheese. I think it needed more- but it was still delicious. (One more would make it creamier, I felt that it was a little dry) The tomatoes are soooo good in it!
We have diabetics in the family, so nutritional information for each recipe is critical. Can’t cook without it.
Although this sounds delicious, I would imagine the chicken breast would be dry since it is already cooked and then baked for 45 more minutes. Any thoughts?
Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake | | Saving Money Living LifeSaving Money Living Life http://t.co/NrFgOsx4
[...] till 2am, lol… SO tasty the next day, and way spicier. LOVE IT! And tonight we will be having: http://www.savingmoneylivinglife.com…asta-bake.html ..but I'm changing it, lol.. Whole wheat pasta, no pre-seasoned cream cheese, and I'm only using [...]
[...] the last week or two, we had two major wins: this Chicken + Spinach Pasta Bake and a Banana [...]
This is such a lovely recipe! I have made it three times already for my family and making it today for a neighbour and her family of four. She has just given birth to a baby girl. I’m an American living in London so we shall see how the Brits like it!
Thanks again! Fab website!
DELICIOUS surprise lunch – thank you Barb!! http://t.co/FIsUb48A
Making this tonight and I’m pretty excited. I think this is a sure way to get some veggies into my picky two year old!!
Just made this and it was amazing!
[...] Tuesday: Scrambled Eggs and Fruit Sandwiches Chicken & Spinach Bake [...]
[...] I’d focus on my culinary skills and try some new recipes. It was until after I made the Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake that I realized how similar it was to the sausage and spinach stuff shells I made a few weeks ago. [...]
[...] cooked a large batch of Spinach & Chicken Pasta Bake (one of our all time favorite recipes) that should last us a good portion of the week for [...]
I would like to send the chicken and spinach pasta bake recipe to my email address to file in my recipe folder, but for some reason it isnot letting me send it, could you please do it from your end? I would appreciate any help that you could give me . Thank-you in advance.
This was wonderful. Made it last night. However, I had to add a jar of pasta sauce to mine because it was a little too dry for my taste.
I made this yesterday and it turned out delicious! Some of the reviews said it was dry, so I didn’t drain the diced tomatoes I poured the liquid in as well. Also the store was out of the chive and onion cream cheese, so I got the Philly Cooking Creme, Italian Cheese and Herb flavor, and used the whole tub. It was really good and flavorful. I used tri-colored corkscrew pasta instead, just for some added color. I also went the fast route on the chicken and diced up the ready to serve Foster Farms Grilled Chicken Breast Strips. It was a hit and super easy to make! Thanks!
i dont have tomatoes..u think sauce would work?
Try it out and let us know, Lisa!
[...] I'm just about to go to lunch right now .. but I already know I'm cooking this for supper Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake – Saving Money Living Life Got it off pinterest .. hope it turns out well [...]
This dish is AWESOME. I have made it twice since i found it and everyone loves it. My boyfriend who hates spinach loved it. I made a couple of changes to it, I added cilantro and fresh jalapenos to the dish and the jalapenos add the perfect touch to it. This is definitely a favorite in my house!
[...] Pinterest source: http://pinterest.com/pin/52987733085898700/ Original source: http://www.savingmoneylivinglife.com/2010/06/chicken-spinach-pasta-bake.html [...]
This was INCREDIBLY dry. Seems like something is missing from this recipe! And aftr placing COOKED cubed chicken breasts into it, THEN cooking another 45 minutes! The chicken just died.
Caryn, I hate to hear you had a bad experience. I’ve never had mine turn out dry, but you can look at some of the comments above to see how others remedied any dry issues.
[...] food Pinterest board, (which has become our go-to cookbook, no joke), and decided this recipe for Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake from Saving Money Living Life would be good to [...]
I accidentally picked up herb and garlic cream cheese….Phooey! Any thoughts on from those who have tried it how it would make as a substitute?
That should still work, Heather. Let us know how it turns out!!
A friend of mine just had a baby and I am taking her a meal. I didn’t know what to make until I found this recipe on her Pinterest board! I was wondering what you served with this?
Hi Becky,
We have served it with rolls, broccoli, salad, and asparagus just to name a few.
So glad to hear it, Heather!!
LOVE THIS! I ended up sending my husband out for the onion and chive cream cheese…and am so glad I did..
Since other posts said it was dry, I didn’t bother to drain my tomatoes and added a few more noodles and it was delicious! Thank you for posting!
Also, I just boiled my chicken to cook it before hand as one poster said her chicken was overcooked. I had no issues whatsoever and it was super easy..:)
Could I use fresh spinach in this? Could I just chop it up and mix it in with everything else?? What do you think?
I don’t see why not, Meg. Let us know if you have any issues.
Is there any way to print this recipe?
Hi Glenda,
I’d recommend going to printfriendly.com & copying and pasting the URL there. We are working to get a better way to print recipes on our site. Thanks for visiting and for leaving a comment!
Soeasy,,,,,,,SoSo GOOD….!!
[...] Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake via Saving Money Living Life [...]
I think I am switching up my menu for this evening to try this…yum! Just curious, how does adding artichokes to the mix sound? I am not very good with changing up dishes, but I was originally planning to make a chick/artichoke lasagna. This sounds way easier though! Any thoughts?
I’ve never tried it before that way, but it’s worth a shot. Sounds yummy to me! Just let us know how it goes.
[...] Spinach Chicken Pasta Casserole – This recipe is perfect when you just want some comfort food. It’s incredibly rich and not the healthiest, but you know what that means…It tastes sooooo good! If you ever have to bring a meal to someone that is sick or just out of the hospital this is a great option. They can just reheat it in their oven and it tastes just as good as when it first came out. [...]
Does this end up being dry at all? If everything in the recipe is already pretty well cooked, I would be afraid of baking it for 45 minutes total. Does the pasta and chicken dry out? Is it worth cooking it for maybe 35 minutes instead? I’m making this for dinner tonight. I’ll try it and see how it goes. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Hi Jill,
I’ve never had a problem with it being dry but others have mentioned they left juice in the tomatoes to keep it more moist. Let us know what you think!
Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake: http://t.co/tW0ucPFR
Making this for my church tonight!
[...] the freezer… Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake via Saving Money Living [...]
Made this for dinner tonight and it was really delicious!! My picky 1 year old AND my picky 15 year old BOTH loved it!!! Thank you so much for sharing! I love it when I find recipes that they BOTH love!!!
can’t wait to try this recipe, look so good
Made this last night…so delicious. Gonna make pans to put in the freezer…..Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake: http://t.co/2VrcT4XM
@fathria cobain bid :9 http://t.co/anIb8OrJ http://t.co/cP5hG4Wv
I notice people are commenting that it’s too dry, well the recipe calls for undrianed tomatoes!
[...] and Spinach Bake (Recipe) Chicken and Spinach Bake Photo Credit: SavingMoneyLiving [...]
I found this on Pinterest and it is great! I used what I had: regular low fat cream cheese and kale. Me and the hubby both loved it. I added the aldente pasta very wet and had no problem with dryness. Will make again soon! Thank you for posting.
WOW!!! Made this tonight. Used Rotel tomatoes, and a rotisserie chicken instead of just cooked. It was FABULOUS!!!
[...] the freezer… Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake via Saving Money Living [...]
do you mix the mozz chz in with mixture or is that just for the top of dish?
Made this last night and it was a HUGE hit! I used a little more pasta and in turn added some more spinach, cheese (in addition to the mozzarella I added pecorino romano_ and a whole additional can of tomatoes w/juice…came out fantastic!!!… and the leftovers taste even better! Might try throwing in some garlic next time
[...] they don’t even notice! I made this dish for the first time a couple of days ago after seeing this recipe on Pinterest. I knew that I had some frozen spinach at home, and this recipe looked too good not to [...]
http://www.savingmoneylivinglife.com/2010/06/chicken-spinach-pasta-bake.html
Making this tonight, hope its yummy!
[...] http://www.savingmoneylivinglife.com/2010/06/chicken-spinach-pasta-bake.html Like this:LikeBe the first to like this. [...]
Thanks for sharing this recipe! Made it tonight, my hubby was scooping some in a bowl for me and said “ew, looks like a lot of vegetables” and he LOVED it. He said he couldn’t even taste the veggies through the creaminess. I used diced tomatoes with jalapeno in them and it made the dish a little spicy. Good stuff!
Is an 11×17 baking dish correct or is that supposed to read 11×7?
Supposed to read 11×7
Thanks- good catch! Fixed it.
Would this freeze well?
I will be cooking this dish and hopefully I will manage to make it right!! “Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake” http://t.co/RCxGfGJB
[...] 1. Chicken and Spinach Rigatoni Bake The ingredients The result [...]
[...] week, I decided to give Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake, courtesy of Saving Money Living Life, a try. I picked this one because honestly, the picture [...]
I made this for dinner last night, it was a HIT with my picky boys! thanks for the yummy recipe!
I made this last night and it was good, but it did not have a lot of flavor. I followed the recipe exactly. It lacked something, I cant place it though. Maybe more tomatoes or cream cheese?
I made this (vegan-style) 3 or 4 times now and I ***LOVE*** it!!!! New fav recipe and definitely a staple in the monthly dinner planning!!!! =)
Looks delicious! Found this on pinterest
with 2 of my favorite foods how could I go wrong, am trying this right away
Thanks for the recipe! I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious and so easy to make.
does anyone know the calories/fat per serving on this? i’m wondering if it will fit in with myfitnesspal plan b/c it sounds delicious.
Hooray! I have been searching through Pinterest for hours looking for a dish that my family would like, would freeze and re-heat well, and isn’t full of cream or fat. This actually looks healthy, delicious, and perfect for nights when “I don’t feel like cooking; is there something in the freezer?” Out of curiosity, have you tried freezing it?
Christina,
We haven’t tried freezing it. We’ve had lots of people ask us about that though, so please let us know if you do how it turns out.
This looks like a great recipe for you
I tried this recipe last night and it was wonderful! I don’t even like spinach and it didn’t even bother me. This will definitely be a repeat in our house!
do you think this would freeze & reheat well?
chicken/spinach/pasta bake
I made this for dinner tonight but i cooked the noodles and let them and the chicken cool, mixed it altogether and we ate it cold. Its was great even my picky 6 year loved it! A great dinner on a hot summer night!
I am planning on making this tonight…does it really only take 8 oz of rigatoni? That isn’t very much and the picture looks like its way more?
Yes, Molly, it does. Enjoy!!
Let us know what you think.
Oh my Lord! I made this tonight and it tastes amazing and looks beautiful. I followed the recipe exactly. I am taking food to a sick shut-in tomorrow and I am making this again and taking it. Thank you. Best new recipe I have tried in a long time!
Thanks so much for your kind words, Karen! We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed it that much.
I found this recipe on Pinterest. I had panned on cooking it for dinner tonight,but after reading all the comments, I couldn’t wait! I have mine in the oven right now and cannot wait for it to finish!
Is it really necessary to completely cook the chicken before putting it in the oven at 375 for 30 minutes? That seems like more than sufficient time to cook small chicken pieces that have already been browned in a pan…
Elise, if you try it the other way, please let us know! Thanks.
This was so yummy, I even added artichoke hearts and used canned chicken. It turned out really amazing!!!
I made this lastnight and it is sooo good!! I used whole wheat penne pasta(thats what i had) and i added mushrooms as well. Thank you for.this recipe =}
Very tastless. Feels like it was missing something.
Stephanie, I hate to hear you had a bad experience with this recipe. We’ve had almost 100% positive feedback about it so far. Thanks for commenting though.
I made this last night, very good! I did change a few things though. I left out the tomatoes and onion becuase I did not have them in the house and didn’t want to go to the store
I did not cook the chicken or noodles first. I mixed raw chicken, uncooked noodles, plain greek yogurt and non fat milk (instead of cream cheese), fresh spinach, I used pesto as my flavor, and a small amount of cheese. I covered and cooked it at 250 until done. Takes a bit longer but the noodles were perfect and the chicken was so tender. It was very good, especially with some hot sauce!
Oh yeah, I used whole wheat noodles!
Didn’t think about the plain yoghurt and milk instead of the cream cheese…good idea!
This looks so good! I’m going to lighten it up a bit with low fat mozzarella and cream cheese (I’ll add spices) and use wheat rigatoni. I’m also using fresh spinach so it was good to see it works well! I’m making it this week now that the weather is finally cooling off! Thanks!
For those who felt it was a bit dry be sure not to drain the tomatoes as the recipe reads.
Yummy! Don’t know if this has been asked already, but I didn’t want to read through all the comments!
Has anyone ever used fresh spinach? I always have that, but never frozen. I think it would work ok…
I made it last night using fresh baby spinach that I cut up. I mixed it in without cooking it first and it was great.
I have this in the oven right now. I fund a recipe on food.com for chive and onion cream cheese that I made. It looks so good! Cannot wait to eat it tonight!
Looks absolutely fantastic!
Made this the other night. My family devoured it. My 22 year old son asked to eat the left overs the next day and said “I hope You make this again, it was really good”! Yummy and easy to make.
looks some yummy will have to try this .
Made this tonight and its the perfect fall comfort food! Sauteed bella mushrooms, onions, fresh spinach and garlic in a bit of olive oil. Combined lt cream cheese with Greek yogurt and onion soup mix since my tomatoes weren’t seasoned and only had plain cream cheese. Soooo goood!!! Thanks for recipe!
can you use chicken thighs
I made this today and it is delicious. I used fresh spinach. I also cooked the chicken in a little olive oil, fresh garlic, kosher salt and fresh ground pepper!
As far as the extra creaminess, I suggest using the Kraft Mozzarella cheese that comes with a touch of cream cheese.
Thanks for the recipe! Most definitely a keeper!
so excited; mine is in the oven now! Did a few things a little diffrent. cooked the onions in the skillet then added chicken and little water and put on the lid to cook a little. Then added fresh spinach cooked that down. Put the tomatos and creams cheese on and let that all cook togeather while the pasta was cooking. Mixed all togeather and now in the oven. Smells great! Will let you know how that turned out!
sorry for the late follow up; but this turned out GREAT! Husband said it was the best thing i’ve made from pintrest
Loved it with the fresh spinach.
Ok…looks yummy and it’s only 9am lol – running out door and didn’t read all comments, but as I don’t eat meat..may try with big chunks of portabella mushrooms or Tofu…hmm…thanks for some inspiration!
Made this tonight with the following small changes. Used gluten free pasta as my husband can not eat wheat. Used a 12 ounce bag of pasta instead of the recommended 8 oz since that is how it comes, and everyone said they wish they had made more! Therefore, I doubled the cream cheese. Used fresh spinach. Cooked onion in butter. Used 1 clove of fresh garlic. So, so good. Subtle, but good. Next time will use 2 cloves of fresh garlic and will add a container of fresh mushrooms. My husband loved it. Can’t wait to eat it for leftovers tomorrow! Thank you for the recipe.
[...] savingmoneylivinglife.com via Jacque on [...]
I made a half portion of this. A little time consuming to make, but can make in advance then freeze for later. Perfect for cooking for a small or large amount of people.
This sounds so yummy! I want to make it for team dinner. Will be having to feed 17 people. How many times should I apply to recipe? How many does this feed as is?
Ashley, I would double the recipe and then serve a hearty salad and rolls with it to stretch it further. Enjoy!
Absolutely loved it. Nothing I would change. Just sent it to my daughter-in-law and daughter. Thanks so much!
I tried this last night. I cut down on amounts as it seemed appropriate because I am cooking for one. I used fresh spinach and fresh tomatoes. I figured without the tomato juice I was missing out on some spice and moisture, so I simply added a little milk and Italian seasonings. I also added sliced bella mushrooms at the same time I added the onions. I used a lot less cream cheese to keep it a little healthier, so I added some garlic for additional flavor. I did use chicken, but in hindsight I think it would be just as good or better with just allowing the mushrooms to take the place of the chicken. It was a fantastic meal for me and I’m excited about my leftovers!
Do you by any chance know if this will work in a 9×13 baking dish? I don’t have 11×7
[...] Zaycon Foods chicken order so I’m making garlic & brown sugar chicken this week and our Spinach & Chicken Pasta Bake. Again, the Stouffer’s meals were on sale for $3.99 w/ a $1.50/1 coupon which makes for a [...]
Found you on Pintrist. Was wondering if you could use fresh spinach instead of the frozen? Dont like the frozen if I can use fresh.
Jen, we’ve had many people tell us they love using fresh in this recipe. We hope you enjoy it!
Looks DELICIOUS! Can’t wait to give this a try.
[...] Chicken, Spinach and Pasta BakeMonday: Spicy Bean and Rice BurritosTuesday: Out with MomWednesday: Leftover Pasta [...]
I made this casserole last night. I made a couple of adjustments to the recipe after reading the previous reviews about the casserole being dry. Mine turned out perfect…but I DID leave the juice from the can of tomatoes in the recipe. I also added 1/2 cup of chicken broth to the mixture. This thinned out the cream cheese a tad. I also did not use the whole box of noodles. I probably left out a cup of noodles. I think if I would have used the whole box…I would have wanted more of the sauce. This was just a personal preference. The dish tasted great. My family really enjoyed it. Will make again. Thanks.
I just made this, and it was FANTASTIC!! My child who likes nothing is asking for more. Easy and delicious!
Great recipe! Delicious…we made it with Linguine and Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese and Fresh Spinach. It’s a keeper…
Maybe I missed this but… has anyone tried adding a jar of artichokes to this delicious sounding recipe? I think spinach and artichoke are natural bff’s, right? It’s almost 11 pm and this recipe has me tempted to get in my car and go to the store!
Hi Marianne! We’re glad to hear you’re so excited about this recipe. As you can see most everyone who has tried it, has LOVED it!! We have read a few peoples comments that said they tried it and liked it that way. We hope you’ll report back and tell us what you thought.
I just attempted to make this! So nervous about how it’s going to turn out!!
I made this with a couple additions;
- I used flat linguini, as I personally dislike penne style pasta for some reason
- Used fresh spinach and mushrooms (sauté mushrooms on stovetop in a bit of butter, olive oil and 1 clove minced garlic, then stir in chopped spinach until wilted)
- I also used a monterey jack cheddar as a substitute for mozzarella simply because I didn’t have any on hand, although I am sure its really good with mozzarella!
Only thing I would say is off is the onion, needs to be cooked way longer. I cooked in oven for at least 30mins and they were still sort of crunchy, which I dislike in pasta dishes. Next time I will chop much smaller also.
Serve with garlic bread and voila! Good dish, fiance liked it, but I am going to try experimenting to make it healthier (too much saturated fat in cream cheese). Add thai sauce (we used memories of thailand) for lots of flavor and something different with leftovers, mmm. Happy cooking!
Made it today with my mom absolutely amazing and going to make it agian for New Years for sure!!!!
try it
Maybe this is crazy, but I crunched a few corn chips on top during the last 15 minutes of cooking it and it made it that much better.
I made this dish today and putting it together I thought it was going to be discussing and it ended up being an amazing dish. This will now be a regular for us, thank you!
Pinning this! It sounds like exactly the kind of thing my family would love! Thanks for linking up to the holiday heirloom recipe party today!
[...] as the main dish to accompany the very satisfying ”mess” from above. It’s a Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake. Aaaah, music to my ears-PASTA. And again, lots of CHEESE and quite delicious. Tweaked it a [...]
Wow! This look amazing, too! Spinach Pasta is one of my very favs ad this looks totally delicious… Thanks for sharing it at our Holiday Heirloom Recipe Party!
Any suggestions on the seasonings if chive & onion cream cheese? this sounds wonderful!
Lelauren,
I didn’t understand your question. Feel free to repost though. xoxo
This recipe is AMAZING!! i”ve made it four times in the past three weeks. It’s delicious, easy to make, and perfect for making in advance and taking to work because it’s just as delicious microwaved as it is fresh. my favorite recipe right now
I used leftover turkey ( we had to have Christmas dinner early this year! ) It was very tasty. Going into the oven, I thought it would be too saucy because there seemed to be a lot of liquid, but it turned out just right. I used a 9×13″ dish ( don’t have a 7×11 ), and I waited to add the cheese until the last 15 minutes of baking, after uncovering the dish. I didn’t want to lose any cheese on my tinfoil cover! Thanks for sharing.
This dish was my savior when i had a vegetarian house guest. As a meat eater i struggled to come up with tasty dishes for an entire week. I just omitted the Chicken, and this dish was the clear winner of all the recipes i made. It was so good, i ended up making it again before the week was over! Thanks for the help!
[...] Original recipe found here. [...]
[...] 28- Spinach Chicken Pasta Casserole [...]
I calculated all the ingredients for 6 or 8 total servings: Approx Nutrition: For 6 servings: Cal 542; Carbs 39; Protein 38; Fat 25; Sodium 925; fiber 4. For 8 servings: Cal 406; Carb 29; Protein 29; Fat 19; Sodium 694; Fiber 3. I haven’t made this yet; so I don’t know for sure how many servings it will yield. I just took the whole recipe and divided by 6 and 8. You could adjust them up or down depending. I I rounded up or down to make even numbers.
I made this last week. It was very tasty. We only got 6 servings out of it. It wasn’t what I would call dry, but not real saucy. Could use a little something to make it less dry.Had a great flavor. Even my daughter who doesn’t like pasta dishes liked it.
[...] Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork sandwiches Monday: Chicken and Rice Casserole Tuesday: Chicken-Spinach Pasta Bake, subbing ground turkey for chicken, as suggested in the comments Wednesday: leftovers Thursday: [...]
Found this recipe on pinterest. Just finished putting it in the oven. I will say I found the measurement conversions frustrating (Im in Canada) and non sensical (8oz of rigitoni worked out to 4 peices of pasta, hahaha so I had to guess on that one) and we preffer our pasta pretty saucy so we didn’t drain the tomatoes and added 1/2 cup of plain Hunts tomatoe sauce. We also added a red pepper, chopped. Will let you know how it turned out.
great recipe
[...] Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake (2nd time making it and used Aldi’s version of the cream cheese and a different style of [...]
This dish is the BEST! My husband who isn’t a pasta lover like me absolutely loved it..told me it’s definitely a keeper..he even told me he wanted what was in the pan for dinner tomorrow too! This recipe made a lot & I had to also use my 8×8 pan also so more tomorrow..YUM!
I recently got engaged, and I have been trying to learn how to cook… rather unsuccessfully. Every dish I have made for my fiance thus far has been “ok” or “pretty good.” Tonight, I made this recipe, and, for the first time, he said “this is really good!” It took me a long time to make… but, again, I am a novice. I follow all recipes exactly because I don’t have the knack to improvise. So, I cannot thank you enough for making a recipe that I can follow exactly and tastes delicious!! I definitely will make this dish again!
Making this tonight…looks YUMMY!
Kammi, this looks delicious. I am going to try it out on papa.
[...] the turkey-spinach pasta bake from last week’s [...]
[...] garden salad Wednesday: Baked Southwestern Tilapia, Lemon Herb Quinoa, edamame, corn Thursday: Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake, E-Z Drop Biscuits, Caesar salad Friday: Oven-Fried Chicken, roasted potatoes, carrots, green beans [...]
Great recipe made it last night my husband and i loved it , we have enough for 2 meals and some , thanks will make again
This recipe was a big hit with my family for dinner. I followed the recipe to a “T” and it turned out awesome!
[...] [source:savingmoneylivinglife.com] [...]
[...] Spinach Pasta Bake 29Jan Cynthia Recipes No comments I found this wonderful recipe over at Saving Money Living Life through Pinterest. Be sure to drop by this awesome website to find other delicious [...]
This dish was excellent! I wasn’t able to find the specified cooking creme so I substituted it with the Italian Herb creme and it was still delicious! I will definitely make again and again.
This is my go to dish when I’m entertaining! It is absolutely delicious! My husband loves it, and I usually pair it with a ceasar salad and a breadstick! Dishes like this keep me away from my favorite italian restaurants! Thanks!
[...] 8-Spinach & Chicken Pasta Bake [...]
[...] turkey-spinach bake: everyone ate this, but I feel like it was a little less saucy than I would have liked. Next time I [...]
Oh my gosh. This was so good…and easy. I did cheat alittle and bought frozen grilled chicken because I was short on time. One of my new favorites.
Made this with pizza sauce instead of tomatoes and it was great. Added some garlic to the onions, too. Whole family enjoyed. Will be hanging on to this one.
Any way I can substitute cream cheese for something else? Maybe sour cream. Dont have cream cheese
Not that I know of off the top of my head, Katie! If you try something and it works, please let us know!
Made this for the first time in November for visiting family.. we practically licked our plates! So yummy,. I’m making it tomorrow for a Valentine’s Day get together. Doubling it for 14 of us. I’m sure there will be NO leftovers! Thanks for sharing this one.
[...] Chicken & Spinach Bake We had a little bit of left overs with this one, which was also really good. My husband’s only concern was that it had a little too much spinach in it for his taste. I was able to get the special type of cream cheese on sale and that really kept the price down. [...]
This recipe is absolutely delicious! I will make it again and again!! Thank you!
Can fresh spinach be used instead?
Yes, we’ve had other people comment that they’ve used fresh spinach and had great success.
Good luck!
Made this tonight and it was delicious! I used a rotisserie chicken and it was the perect amount! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I made this for dinner tonight and its Awesome!!! I’m so glad I pinned this. This will definitely be going on the dinner rotation and bump out my baked meat ziti
Can’t wait to try this
My cooking skills have fallen short of my appetite. I want to eat healthy, keep it simple and relatively easy. I would like to cook a huge meal then freeze a week or so worth. We have been making vegetable soup five gallons at a time, but I have eaten it for lunch for about two months straight. Time for something new! Suggestions?
Ok, FB friends…Give me some good casserole recipes.
I’ve got left over turkey that I want to make a quick easy meal w tonight … any suggestions?!
[...] is a pretty small grocery haul, right? The hubs is making our famous chicken & spinach pasta bake for co-workers later this week, Easter brunch with the fam is this weekend, we have supper [...]
Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake http://t.co/MS3xbwfTg7
Where does the onion come in to play in this recipe?
[...] Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake [...]
This is yummy….looking for more spinach recipes. Thanks
this is in the oven now and I cant wait to try it:) it smells soooo good!