You’ll Fall in Love With Marry Me Chicken Casserole
This flavorful, creamy casserole is my make-ahead, shareable take on marry me chicken. With pasta, a creamy sauce, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, chicken, and a crispy top, the whole family is guaranteed to love it.
I’m a bit skeptical of viral recipes, but I’ve been a fan of the Marry Me Chicken since the start. It highlights some of my favorite flavors (Sun-dried tomatoes! Cheese!) and is a great skillet chicken recipe for fast meals.
Marry Me Chicken was made to be transformed into a casserole. It has a creamy sauce, protein, and pasta. The casserole version is great for preparing dinner in advance, combining all the flavors you want in an irresistible baked casserole.
My Trick for a Flavorful Sauce
Like so many casseroles, this sauce starts with a roux. Generally, this would be butter and flour cooked together, but since we will be using sun-dried tomatoes, I like substituting some of the butter for the oil in the sun-dried tomato jar. That oil has a huge flavor and works great in this recipe.
Once you have your roux, you can slowly whisk in the liquids (chicken broth and cream) until the mixture thickens into a light gravy. Then stir in the cream cheese and Parmesan to make it very cheesy and decadent.
Easy Tweaks
- Add some red pepper flakes to the sauce for a bit of spice (start with 1/2 teaspoon).
- If you would like to use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken, you can swap the cutlets for 2 to 3 cups of shredded chicken, mixing it into the sauce along with the pasta.
- For an even cheesier casserole, add 1 to 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese or mozzarella cheese.
Make Ahead Instructions
You can prepare this entire casserole and store it, covered in foil, in the fridge for up to 2 days. When you are ready to bake it, leave it covered and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Then uncover the casserole and bake it for another 20 minutes so the top gets crispy.
Chicken Casseroles
Cook the chicken:
Season the cutlets well with Italian seasoning and salt.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once hot, sear the chicken until browned for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and set aside; the chicken will not be fully cooked. If needed, cook in batches.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until it is al dente, 8 to 9 minutes. Drain and briefly rinse to prevent sticking.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Spray a 9x13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray or grease it with butter.
Make the sauce:
In a large pot over medium heat (you can use the same pot you used for pasta here), add the butter and sun-dried tomato oil. Add the flour and whisk together to form a roux. Whisk until the flour turns a tan color, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. Stir well to combine.
Bake the casserole:
Fold the cooked pasta into the sauce and stir well to combine. Transfer the creamy pasta to the baking dish. Nestle the chicken cutlets on top.
In a small bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, reserved 1/2 cup Parmesan, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Top the casserole with the breadcrumb mixture.
Bake the casserole, uncovered, for 30 minutes until bubbling and crispy on top. Let cool briefly before serving.
Store any leftovers tightly covered in the pan or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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