A few weeks ago, I ran across this recipe for Chicken, Spinach, and Almond Pasta Bake over at Gimme Some Oven (be sure to check out Ali’s site for tons of yummy recipes)! I loved the look of it and decided to test it out as a freezer recipe. It turned out well! I did modify the original recipe because I wanted to use ingredients I already had on hand.
Here is my version:
Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake Casserole
Ingredients:
- 1 12-ounce package whole-wheat pasta
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 chopped yellow onion (if desired – I left this out)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3-4 cups fresh chopped spinach
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 lb. diced chicken breast
- 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup slivered almonds
- salt and pepper to taste
1) Boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain and toss with a bit of olive oil.
2) Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion for a few minutes. Add chicken broth and diced chicken. Stir. Mix in the spinach and stir until wilted (about a minute). Remove the mixture from heat and stir in lemon juice.
3) Add the mixture to the pasta. Stir. It will take at least a minute or two to combine it well.
4) Grease a freezer-safe baking pan. Add 1/2 of the pasta on the bottom. Sprinkle with some mozzarella cheese. Add more pasta. Finish with a layer of cheese on top.
Allow to cool, cover well and freeze. (You can also freeze the almonds in a small container or bag attached to the pan.) When ready to serve, allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and cook for 30 minutes. Be sure the pan is covered with foil when you bake it to prevent the noodles from becoming too crispy on top.
While the chicken & spinach bake is cooking in the oven, toast the almonds for a few minutes in a skillet on the stove top. Sprinkle the toasted almonds over the top before serving.
Find more posts in my Five Days of Freezer Cooking series. Also, this post is part of the Five Days of… over at iHomeschool Network. Be sure to visit and see all the other wonderful posts from my lovely and talented friends! This series is sponsored by Beech Retreat.
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