Make-Ahead Chicken Rigatoni is an easy and cheese casserole you can whip up for a dinner any night of the week. Pair your pasta with a salad and some garlic bread and ring that dinner bell! Easy, delicious, and reheats nicely if you are looking to meal prep for the week! 5 ingredients are all it takes to make this chicken pasta.
Craving more casserole style recipes? Broccoli chicken casserole, crockpot cinnamon roll casserole, cheeseburger casserole, or even this vegetable enchilada casserole.
Make-Ahead Chicken Rigatoni
Oven-baked chicken rigatoni can be made in advance and reheated or save the leftovers and enjoy later on down the line. Or if you want to make this for dinner tonight go right ahead.
How To Make Ahead Chicken Rigatoni
You will take your cooked chicken, and mix it with the cooked pasta and then mix in the rest of the ingredients as directed. Then cover and place your casserole in the fridge and store for later in the week to reheat. Or toss in the freezer if you prefer. The casserole can freeze for up to three months.
Then to reheat just place in the oven covered and cook to warm it up a bit, uncover to finish cooking until the dish is fully warmed through.
Sides to Pair With Pasta Casserole
- Steamed or roasted vegetables
- Side salad or Caesar salad
- Garlic Bread or Breadsticks
- Etc
Variation To Recipe
Meat | You can do ground beef, sausage, or a blend of meat if you want. I loved the chicken in this dish but you are more than welcome to swap it out with whatever you prefer. Or go meatless if you would like.
Pasta | Essentially, you can use any style of pasta you want. From gluten-free noodles to a different shape of pasta. Just cook the pasta as directed on the back of the box.
Sauce | If you want you can use homemade pasta sauce or store-bought. Any sauce you enjoy will work. If you like pasta extra saucy go right ahead and add in extra. As it bakes it will dry up a little bit in terms of how much sauce you get.
Storing Leftovers
If you have leftovers you can store your rigatoni pasta in the refrigerator. It will store for around 3-4 days. Use your best judgment in terms of quality.
Now if you have leftovers you want to freeze, you can store them in the freeze as well. The only difference is when you go to reheat it will make the pasta a bit softer in texture.
Can I Use Alfredo Sauce Instead of Red Sauce
If you want to make this with a white sauce you are more than welcome to. Red sauce works really well for our family. But you might prefer white alfredo sauce if you enjoy that better.
Or make a batch with red sauce and one with white to see what you prefer in terms of flavor.
Make Ahead Chicken Rigatoni
Make Ahead Chicken Rigatoni is a delicious and easy chicken pasta recipe that can be made for any night of the week. Pasta sauce, cooked chicken, cheese, and tender pasta all made into one oven-baked chicken rigatoni recipe.
Ingredients
- 10 oz. Rigatoni Noodles, Cooked
- 1 lb chicken, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 20 oz jar of marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella + more for sprinkling on top
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan
- Parsley, if desired, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix chicken, noodles, marinara sauce, and both kinds of cheese.
- Spoon into a large casserole dish. Sprinkle extra mozzarella on top and bake for 15-20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melty.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 354Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 689mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 27g
