This Cheesy Spinach Dip Chicken Pasta will be your new favorite dinner! I combined the spinach dip and all of its creamy goodness with cooked penne and chicken. Then I topped it all with mozzarella and baked into one delicious meal!
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Why You'll Love This Pasta
How about a creamy pasta topped with gooey cheese for dinner? What if we added spinach dip to the equation? I'll tell you what - your new favorite weeknight dinner! It's absolutely delicious and the whole family loves it!
This has been our favorite weeknight dinner. I make it on Tuesdays, our busiest time in the week when our girls have dance classes and we get back home late. I do all of the prep during the day. When we get home, I top it with cheese and bake while we make a salad and the dinner is ready in 15 minutes. Talk about a time-saver!
Ingredients:
- pasta - I used penne pasta but any bite-size pasta works.
- chicken - I recommend boneless skinless chicken breast.
- flour - Sprinkled over chicken, allows it to brown nicely.
- sour cream - The base for the sauce. You can use Greek yogurt instead.
- cream cheese - Makes the sauce and the overall dish, creamy and rich.
- milk - Necessary to thin out the sauce mixture. I actually prefer half and half for a richer flavor.
- spinach - You can use frozen or fresh spinach. Frozen needs to be thawed and squeezed out of excess moisture.
- Ranch mix - Just like in making a spinach dip, this seasoning mix gives it the signature flavor.
- cheese - I used freshly grated mozzarella cheese. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with starch to prevent clumping and it doesn't melt as well.
How to make spinach dip chicken pasta?
- Start by buttering a 2-quart baking dish.
- Cook pasta, drain and keep warm.
- Dice chicken, season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour over chicken and toss to coat.
- Cook chicken until no longer pink.
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, mix together sour cream, cream cheese, Ranch mix, half and half and spinach.
- Add cooked pasta and chicken to the spinach mixture and stir all together. Transfer the mixture into the prepared dish.
- If serving right away, top the dish with cheese and bake for 10 minutes. The cheese should be melted. You can then turn the oven to broiler (on low setting) and broil for 2 to 3 minutes or until the cheese bubbles up and gets golden brown spots.
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Pasta dinner that tastes like your favorite dip!
Pasta dinners are one of our favorites for weeknights. They are so versatile and so easy to make. This one is inspired by my Hubby. One of his favorite dips is the spinach dip (I skip the artichokes but feel free to include them).
This dish is also great to take to neighbors that just had a baby, or friends that are sick. Everyone will love it! It's a hit with kids even though it has spinach. And that is a win!
Common questions:
You can use fresh or frozen spinach in this dish. I tried both and didn't notice much difference. Go with fresh is it's in season and frozen when you can't find it. Don't forget to thaw it before using in the recipe.
You can use 1 teaspoon of each dried dill, chives, garlic powder, onion powder to substitute for the ready mix. I hope this helps!
You can freeze this casserole, but keep in mind that it has sour cream and cream cheese. They may turn a little grainy during freezing. Thaw the casserole, stir it well and then bake.
Absolutely! Any shortcut you can take, go for it! Already cooked chicken (diced or even shredded) works well. It saves you time because you can skip the first few steps.
Absolutely! Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Let it sit in room temperature while the oven preheats. Do not place cold from the fridge casserole in the oven or your dish will break.
More pasta recipes:
If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!
Cheesy Spinach Dip Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups uncooked penne rigate
- 2 chicken breasts
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup half and half or whole milk
- 1 pkg dry Ranch mix
- 5 oz frozen spinach or 4 ounces of fresh
- 1 ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Butter a 2 quart baking dish. Set aside.
- Cook pasta according to the instructions on the packaging. Drain and keep warm.2 ½ cups uncooked penne rigate
- Dice chicken, season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour over chicken and toss to coat.2 chicken breasts, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink.
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, mix together sour cream, cream cheese, Ranch mix, half and half and spinach.½ cup sour cream, 4 oz cream cheese, ¼ cup half and half or whole milk, 1 pkg dry Ranch mix, 5 oz frozen spinach or 4 ounces of fresh
- Add cooked pasta and chicken to the spinach mixture and stir all together. Transfer the mixture into the prepared dish.
- At this point, you can cover the dish with saran wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- If serving right away, top the dish with cheese and bake for 10 minutes at 375℉ oven. The cheese should be melted. You can then turn the oven to broiler (on low setting) and broil for 2 to 3 minutes or until the cheese bubbles up and gets golden brown spots.1 ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Let stand in room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- You can use fresh or frozen spinach in this dish. I tried both and didn’t notice much difference. Go with fresh is it’s in season and frozen when you can’t find it.
- I do not use table salt in this recipe. Kosher salt is less salty so keep that in mind.
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.
Erica says
Does this meal freeze well? I'm trying to make a bunch of meals before my little man arrives in october.
Jen says
Made this last night - yummo! I used fresh baby spinach, greek yogurt for the sour cream, and leftover grilled chicken. I was worried the dish might be bland but that ranch packet didn't disappoint!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi Jen! That's fantastic! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for letting me know! Have a beautiful weekend! 😀 -Anna
Penny says
Could you use ready made spinach dip in a pinch??
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi Penny! Thank you for the question. I have not tried it with ready made dip but I think it should work. Let me know if you try it!
Melissa M. says
I made this tonight and my whole family loves it. I am definitely making this dish again!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Yay! I am so happy to know you and your family loves this dish! It's a family favorite here too! 😀 Thank you so much for trying the recipe and for letting me know, Melissa! Have a beautiful weekend! 😀
Jamie says
Just made this and my entire family loved it! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Jamie
Terri says
what size of casserole dish does this make?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi Terri! The 13"x9" casserole dish is perfect. Hope this helps!
Colleen says
I just made this and both of my kids, 4 and 7, gave it two thumbs up! I made it with medium shells instead, just because they're more mouth size for them, but it was delicious!! Thanks for a great recipe!
Bethany says
I just made this dish, and it is SOOOOO good! And, my 2yr. old son loves it. Winning!!! Thanks for sharing this cheesy goodness:)
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi Bethany! This is seriously the best compliment ever! I LOVE when kids approve of my recipes. Thank you so much for trying the pasta and for coming back to let me know you guys love it.!!
Cindy says
Oh my goodness! Just made this for our supper and I totally agree with Kelsey - hubby and I could've eaten the entire recipe ourselves! SOOO good! Will definitely be making this again and again and again!!! I used a 10 oz package of thawed/squeezed frozen spinach and it was just fine - not too much spinach. Also used the fat-free plain Greek yogurt and 1/2% milk to cut down on the fat content. Delicious!
kelsey says
I made this and it is seriously amazing. Probably the best thing I have ever made at home. My boyfriend was amazed and said it was like something you would expect to get at a restaurant. Embarrassing enough to admit between the two of us we ate the whole thing and then we're sad we didn't have leftovers. Not our proudest moment but it was SO good.
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi Kelsey! Haha! I love it! I am so glad that you tried the recipe. It is a huge favorite here and I totally get eating it all! It is crazy good! Thank you so much for visiting my blog and for letting me know!
Jennifer B says
I'm probably the only silly one who isn't sure, since nobody else has asked, but is this calling for ranch dressing mix or ranch dip mix? 🙂 Thanks!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi Jennifer! Not silly at all! You can use either, but the one I used and included in the recipe is a salad dressing mix. Hope this helps! Thanks!
Liz says
Hi Anna,
Love this meal. It looks divine. Just wondered if it was possible to freeze it and if so at what stage?
Thanks xxxx
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi Liz! Yes, you can freeze this dish, just like you would with lasagna or any other pasta dish. Right after you place everything in the baking dish, let it cool to room temperature,then cover and freeze. You can top it with cheese before freezing or just before baking and serving. If you freeze it, let it stand in room temperature before baking. Let me know if you try it! I also posted a Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake that you might like! Thank you for stopping by and for the question!
LifesHiddenTreasure says
oh my goodness!!! My mouth is watering!!! This is going on the menu in the very near future 🙂
Kari says
Do you need to defrost the spinach before you mix it if using frozen?
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi Kari! Yes, you need to defrost it. Just follow the instructions on the box or simply submerge in warm water and then drain. Hope this helps!
Sarah W. says
If I'm using fresh spinach, do I need to saute it or wilt it down some how first? Thanks! Looks super good and want to use up some spinach. Was going to make spinach cheese dip but way not do this and make it dinner haha!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi Sarah! No need to saute the spinach. It will cook during baking the dish. Let me know if you try it! Thank you!
Kate says
Omigosh, well that looks really good. I love the oozy melty stringy cheese!