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Marry Me Chicken Casserole is the rich, creamy pasta bake that will make your special someone want to get down on one knee. Who wouldn’t want to say “I do” to tender chicken and springy rotini in a luscious sun-dried tomato cream sauce?
When they came up with this whole “Marry Me Chicken” concept, they clearly weren’t thinking of those of us who are married or have been with our partners for a loooong time (21 years for us!). I’d prefer naming it “I’ll Do the Dishes Tonight Chicken” instead.
This marry me chicken casserole has all the elements of the original concept, with a garlicky cream sauce, sweet and tangy sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, and plenty of Parm. But we can wear sweatpants and help ourselves to heaping servings of this creamy one pot pasta and chicken.
Serve this with some cheesy garlic bread and go live your best carb-centered life.
Reader Review
“I never leave comments,lol! So for me to leave a comment.This had been the best dish that i’ve made EVER! You made it super simple to read the instructions.I like how you did step by step.And then showed everything that was in that step by step picture! My go to favorite meal.Thank you for introducing it to me. Sooooooo good”
Shana
- You can buy sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil or “dry” in resealable bags. If your brand doesn’t have the oil, that’s fine. Just increase the pesto in the recipe by 1/2 tsp to pump up the flavor.
- You can use chicken breast or chicken thighs. Both are delicious!
If you are making this for anyone who might be on the “pickier” side, combine the sundried tomatoes with the chicken stock in a blender, and nobody will ever know. Secrets are fun!
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet (or you’re not sure if yours is oven-safe), you can transfer everything to a casserole dish coated in nonstick spray or oil and bake your marry me chicken casserole in that.
- If possible, use freshly grated Parmesan for this recipe. The shelf-stable kind doesn’t really melt, so it’ll add a grainy texture to your sauce.
One Pot Marry Me Chicken Casserole
Equipment
- Strainer
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry rotini noodles
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts {cubed, cut into ~1-inch pieces}
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup salted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp sundried tomato oil {optional}
- 2 tbsp pesto
- 1 1/3 cup shredded parmesan, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- In a large saucepan bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil.
- Add rotini and cook until al dente, ~7 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving about 1/4 cup of pasta water in the pot. Set aside. Make the rest while the pasta cooks.2 cups dry rotini noodles
- Sprinkle salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and smoked paprika over the cubed chicken.1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, 3/4 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
- In a deep oven-safe skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.1 tbsp olive oil
- Add the chicken and cook it until it is just cooked through (~5-6 minutes). Do not overcook.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate. Drain any juices from the pan, but do not scrape the browned bits from the pan.
- Over low heat, melt butter in the skillet and stir in the minced garlic and sundried tomatoes. Cook until the garlic is cooked through, ~2-3 minutes.1/4 cup salted butter, 3 cloves garlic, finely minced, 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
- Slowly whisk in chicken stock, heavy cream, sundried tomato oil (if using), and pesto, then increase the temp to medium-high, and bring to a low boil for 3 minutes, whisking constantly.1 cup chicken stock, 1 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1 tbsp sundried tomato oil, 2 tbsp pesto
- Add in 1 cup of the shredded parmesan, and stir until it has been incorporated into the sauce1 1/3 cup shredded parmesan, divided
- Add in the cooked pasta and chicken and stir to combine.
- Top with remaining 1/3 cup of shredded parmesan.
- Bake, uncovered at 350˚F for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melty and lightly browned.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I never leave comments,lol! So for me to leave a comment.This had been the best dish that i’ve made EVER! You made it super simple to read the instructions.I like how you did step by step.And then showed everything that was in that step by step picture! My go to favorite meal.Thank you for introducing it to me. Sooooooo good
Shana, what a kind and thoughtful comment. I’m so thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the recipe and the process!
Most excellent! My family loves Marry Me Chicken, and I am not a fan of all of the steps :). Made some minor seasoning tweaks due to taste preferences, and swapped ground chicken for chicken breasts. They finished it in one sitting. Thank you Sarah!
Ohhhh, love the idea of the ground chicken. Excellent swap, Wynn!
So glad it was a hit. 🙂