Here’s the beauty of Now-or-Later Casserole. Every time you bake it, you’re left with two 8-inch baking dishes full of creamy, cheesy, chicken-y deliciousness. So, the question is? Are you going to chow down on both of these pasta-and-veggie-filled bakes at once? That’d be perfect if you were hosting! Or you can enjoy its savory, comforting goodness now AND enjoy even more of it later! Mmm, decisions, decisions. Whatever you choose, you can always be certain that your choice to make Now-or-Later Casserole is a yummy one!
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) package spiral pasta, such as rotini
- 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 2 pounds chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut into 3/4-inch-thick cubes
- 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 (10.75-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups fontina cheese, shredded, divided
- 4 teaspoons fresh oregano, minced, or 1 1/4 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 (6-ounce) packages fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- fresh herbs, of your choice, to taste, chopped, for garnish
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease two 8-inch square baking dishes.
Step 3 –In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook the pasta to al dente, according to the package directions. Drain the water.
Step 4 –In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat 3 teaspoons of the oil.
Step 5 –Add the chicken cubes to the oil in batches and cook, while stirring, until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the juices run clear, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate.
Step 6 –In the same Dutch oven, add the remaining oil and the mushrooms and cook, while stirring, until they are tender, about 3-5 minutes.
Step 7 –Add the garlic to the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute.
Step 8 –Stir the cream of mushroom soup, the broth, 1 cup of the cheese, the oregano, and the pepper into the mushroom mixture
Step 9 –Add the spinach, the tomatoes, the cooked chicken cubes, and the cooked pasta to the sauce mixture and stir to combine.
Step 10 –Evenly divide the chicken mixture between the prepared baking dishes and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Step 11 –Cover the baking dish with foil and bake the casserole until it is heated through, about 15-20 minutes.
Step 12 –Serve the casserole garnished with the fresh herbs.
