If you have been craving a creamy and cheesy meal, look no further than this skillet Italian chicken casserole recipe. It’s incredibly easy to make and can be on your table in about 30 minutes.
Lately, I have been craving pasta. I don’t know if it’s because I had to be dairy free for a while (not by choice) and I couldn’t have my beloved Parmesan cheese.
If you have ever had to cut dairy from your diet suddenly, you know how hard it can be.
I mean, cheese was something I would always have on hand and snack on. It was so hard to give it up, but I’m so glad that I was able to temporarily be dairy free to help my infant daughter.
At about 8 weeks old, my daughter developed an intolerance to milk. I had not cut dairy at this point and was very resistant to it. I had overproduced so much that we had to buy a 2nd freezer to store it all.
Knowing that she was intolerant to dairy meant that I would have had to throw out (or donate) all of that milk. It was a hard pill to shallow.
But I also knew that I had to do something while we worked to find a formula she enjoyed and drank.
If you have never looked at ingredients for foods, you would be shocked at how many things have dairy.
I cut milk, dairy, and soy products (we thought she was also soy intolerant initially) while we were figuring things out for her. It was tough, but I knew it was necessary.
Searching for foods without any of those things was hard. I had to sign up for a Thrive Market subscription (which I still use and love) so that I could get dairy free snacks and chocolates.
Those were the things I craved dairy the most.
If you are interested in additional pasta recipes, check you this Cajun chicken pasta skillet recipe. Or these turkey and veggie stuffed shells.
What are your favorite Italian recipes?
Skillet Italian Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 bag frozen chicken strips
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 Tablespoons garlic minced
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup dry pasta
- 1 large tomato chopped
- 1 cup baby spinach chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon garlic salt
Instructions
- Bring a medium sized pot filled halfway with water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet to medium high heat. Add olive oil and frozen chicken once the oil is hot. Add the onion and garlic and cook with the chicken until the chicken is unfrozen and the onion is translucent, about 7 minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste. Add the chopped spinach and stir to combine everything together.
- Sprinkle the seasonings. Stir in the half and half, Parmesan cheese and cooked pasta. Stir everything together and serve immediately.