Chicken, Kale, and Pasta Casserole With Cheese

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 03/9/22
Chicken, Kale, and Pasta Casserole With Cheese
Diana Rattray
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Total: 50 mins
Servings: 8 to 10 servings

Chopped cooked kale is delicious in this casserole, but chard or spinach could also be used. This is a hearty dish, perfect to serve your family any day of the week—or make it for a potluck or large gathering.

Casarecce pasta is a slightly twisted, open, tubular shape which holds sauce very well. It worked beautifully in this casserole and would be great in a creamy macaroni and cheese dish as well. Feel free to use fusilli, campanelle, macaroni, penne, or similar pasta in this dish.

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces uncooked fusilli, or casarecce pasta

  • 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, divided

  • 1 cup chopped onion

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup dry white wine

  • 1 cup chicken broth

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme

  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

  • 2 cups diced cooked chicken

  • 2 cups frozen kale, cooked, well drained

  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1 cup soft fresh breadcrumbs

Steps to Make It

  1. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water as directed on the package, then drain and rinse with hot water. Set aside.

  2. In a sauté pan or large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until onion softens, becoming slightly clear. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until the flour is well incorporated and cooked, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and chicken broth. Continue cooking, stirring, until mixture is thickened and bubbly.

  3. Add the cream, thyme, parsley, chicken, and kale. Stir to blend.

  4. Stir in the cheese until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

  5. Combine with the pasta and transfer to a lightly greased 2- to 2 1/2-quart baking dish.

  6. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and toss with the breadcrumbs. Spread over the casserole.

  7. Bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes, or until the casserole is hot and ​the top is lightly browned. To further brown the crumbs, turn the broiler on for a few seconds. Watch carefully, though: They can burn very quickly on broil.

Glass Bakeware Warning

Do not use glass bakeware when broiling or when a recipe calls to add liquid to a hot pan, as glass may explode. Even if it states oven safe or heat resistant, tempered glass products can, and do, break occasionally.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
381 Calories
21g Fat
28g Carbs
17g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 381
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g 27%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Cholesterol 74mg 25%
Sodium 406mg 18%
Total Carbohydrate 28g 10%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 17g
Vitamin C 8mg 42%
Calcium 241mg 19%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 265mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)