BBQ Chicken Pasta Bake
This BBQ chicken and pasta bake is a novel take on the classic oven-baked pasta casserole. Made with tender chunks of chicken, homemade barbecue sauce, bacon, pasta, and creamy melted Gouda cheese, it goes from kitchen to table in just 45 minutes.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces (see notes)
- 8 ounces pasta (penne, rotini, ziti)
- 2 strips thick-cut bacon cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 scallions chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (substitute parsley or chives)
- 4 ounces Gouda cheese (regular or smoked) coarsely grated
- 1/2 cup Bourbon BBQ Sauce (or store bought)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and generously coat a 1-1/2 quart baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Cook the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water, then drain and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, fry the bacon until crisp and using a slotted spatula, transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pan.
- Return the pan to the stove over medium heat and sauté the onion in the bacon fat until softened, 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken, season with a pinch of salt, and continue cooking, stirring often, until the chicken is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Remove the pan from the heat, add the reserved bacon, and a few grinds of black pepper.
- Stir the barbecue sauce into the chicken mixture, then add the pasta, scallions, cilantro and all but 1/4 cup of the grated cheese. If the mixture looks dry, add the reserved pasta water in 1 tablespoon increments until you like the consistency.
- Transfer everything to the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake uncovered until everything is piping hot and the cheese is melted and creamy, about 15 minutes.
Notes
ABOUT THE SEASONING: Note that we don't call for much in the way of salt for this dish as we feel it gets plenty from the bacon, bbq sauce, and cheese. Taste the mixture before you put it in the oven to bake, and be sure you get a little bit of everything in that sample bite for accuracy, then adjust accordingly.
SHORTCUT VERSION
Here's how to make a shortcut version of this easy casserole dish: Skip cooking the chicken from scratch and use 2 cups of leftover rotisserie chicken (preferably the meat from the thighs and drumsticks) and substitute the homemade bbq sauce with 1/2 cup of your favorite brand of store-bought.Nutrition
Calories: 560 | Total Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 801mg | Carbohydrates: 60g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 15g | Protein: 34g