Easy Chicken Penne Casserole Recipe for Comfort Food Lovers
A rich and comforting blend of tender chicken, penne pasta, and a creamy sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, bell peppers, and cream cheese—perfect for family dinners.
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 47 minutes mins
- 3 chicken breasts or canned chicken for convenience
- 1 green bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 large red onion sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil reserve that oil for sautéing!
- 1 quart canned tomatoes chopped with juice
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ to 1 package cream cheese at room temperature
- 3 cups dried penne pasta
- 1 Tbsp salt
Bring a large pot of water to boil and add salt. Add penne noodles to water and cook until al dente, approximately 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, and drain pasta, rinsing well with cold water. Set aside.
In a very large deep skillet, put reserved sun-dried tomato oil and bring to medium high heat. Add chicken strips, salt and pepper and sauté until beginning to brown.
Add onion, peppers, and garlic and brown slightly. Add sundried tomatoes and canned tomatoes and stir well. Add seasonings.
Bring to a boil and cook until beginning to reduce. Turn heat to low, and add cream cheese in small pieces, stirring to melt cream cheese into the sauce. If too thick add some pasta water until desired consistency.
Stir in penne. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Serve with crusty bread and a green salad.
Keyword Casserole, Pasta Dish