Description
Hearty homemade crazy good casserole delivers comfort and warmth straight from grandma’s kitchen. Rich layers of savory ingredients promise a delightful meal you’ll want to savor with family and friends.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Proteins:
- 4.5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 6 strips quality bacon, cooked and crumbled
Dairy and Cheese:
- 2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup
Pasta and Seasonings:
- 1 box (16 ounces/454 grams) dried spiral pasta
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Crisp and render bacon in a skillet until golden and crumbly, then set aside the savory bits.
- Using the same bacon-infused pan, sauté chicken chunks until thoroughly cooked, seasoning with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Cook spiral pasta according to package instructions, ensuring al dente texture.
- Preheat oven to 400°F and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Transfer drained pasta back to the pot and incorporate cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, and half the Monterrey Jack cheese, mixing thoroughly.
- Transfer the creamy pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish, creating an even layer.
- Distribute crispy bacon fragments across the surface of the casserole.
- Sprinkle remaining Monterrey Jack cheese over the bacon, creating a complete coverage.
- Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes, watching for cheese to melt and develop a golden-brown crust.
Notes
- Toast bacon in a dry skillet for extra crispiness without additional oil, enhancing the overall flavor profile.
- Swap cream of chicken soup with homemade white sauce for a fresher, less processed taste and lower sodium content.
- Consider using rotisserie chicken for faster preparation and more tender meat texture.
- For gluten-free adaptation, replace regular pasta with chickpea or gluten-free spiral pasta to maintain the dish’s integrity.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 590
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 1020 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg