As I write this, we’re still staying home due to coronavirus. I’m keeping very busy, due to our never-ending master bath remodel, various writing duties and the usual cleaning and cooking involved with a house full of people.
Every once in a while, I want to try a new recipe. But I’m tired and busy, and I want something that’s super easy to prep. I’m also craving comfort food. Enter the dump-and-go casserole.
On a night when you don’t have much time or energy to mess with a complex recipe, nothing beats a dump-and-go casserole. Yummy comfort food that takes less than 15 minutes to prep and contains just six ingredients. And it’s gluten free, if you use GF pasta.
I based this on a recipe I found on Pinterest from The Seasoned Mom and tweaked to make it GF. I changed the quantities to fit the standard GF pasta box. For many years, I’ve made a dump-and-go chicken casserole that everyone in my family loves except my GF girl. You see, it’s got a base of mushroom soup (Progresso brand is GF), and she’s not a fan of shrooms. She tolerates it, but tries to pick the bits of mushroom out.
What she really loves is cheesy, garlicky alfredo sauce, so I searched out a recipe that uses it. The key to a dump-and-go casserole is you don’t have to cook the noodles ahead of time. They cook right in the oven, drenched in sauce. Because it uses a single pan, clean up is easy.
I used Barilla gluten-free penne pasta, which is made with corn and rice. You need the corn in there to keep the pasta from turning to mush. The first time we had GF mac and cheese, we used a rice macaroni noodle. So disappointing. I think a noodle with quinoa would work well, too.
A lot of jars of alfredo sauce are GF because they are thickened with cornstarch instead of flour. Just make sure you read the label carefully. I used the Kroger brand of alfredo sauce.
I bought a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store, or you could use canned or leftover chicken.
Topped with Italian cheeses and baked to a light golden brown with slightly crispy edges, it’s creamy, dreamy goodness.
This recipe made enough to feed six to eight people, depending on how hungry they are. After four of us dined on it last night, I’ve still got a good quantity of leftovers to eat. And it still tastes great after it’s reheated in the microwave.
Serve it with a salad, broccoli or green beans, and buon appetito (that’s Italian for enjoy your meal).
Without further ado, here’s the recipe. It’s soooo good!
If you enjoy it, please share it!
Dump-and-go gluten-free Chicken Alfredo Casserole
This super simple recipe takes just minutes to prep and uses just six ingredients. Stir it together in a large baking dish and bake for creamy, cheesy comfort food.
Ingredients
- 12 oz. gluten-free penne pasta I use Barilla
- 16 oz. GF alfredo sauce
- 2 1/3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken I use rotisserie or canned
- 1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 1/2 cups Italian cheese blend; or 1 c. mozzarella & 1/2 c. parmesan
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
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Spray large baking pan lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
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Mix pasta, alfredo sauce, chicken broth, chicken and garlic in pan.
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Seal pan with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Take off foil and stir. Check pasta. You want it to be slightly firm (al dente). If needed, reseal with foil and bake another 10 minutes.
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Take off foil and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake another 7-10 minutes.
Oh my, but the cheese baked on top of the creamy alfredo sauce takes this dish over the top! I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.