Hunt’s Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole: from Hunt’s Signature Recipe Collection

Hunt’s Signature Recipe Collection – Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole…

I love cooking for my almost 88-year old Mom, Rita.  Rita was a great cook when I was a child, always experimenting with food and recipes and way ahead-of-her-time with healthy eating choices for herself, my Dad and my brothers and me. My Dad grew up on a farm in Michigan (where I was born!) and never ate anything that wasn’t grown by his own parents.  I still remember picking vegetables and fruit with my grandparents. I think this shaped my life. Back in the 60’s, my Mom literally began to restrict sugar-intake in our household, too!

Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole

Rita loves taking the senior bus to her local Senior Center where she exercises at least 3-4 days per week.  I cannot remember a time in my life when my Mom wasn’t doing ahead-of-her-time things to keep herself physically fit.  In the 1950’s and ’60’s and all the way ’til now, my Mom has done strength training exercises every single day. My Mom golfed and bowled and danced and hula hooped and rode her stationary bike until her arthritis made these things prohibitive.

Now, my Mom walks up to a mile a day, up and down the  long corridors of her senior complex.  She loves being with my family and participating in the activities and antics of my 9 grandkids, her great-grandkids!  She is a marvel to fellow seniors and my greatest role model.

Rita is now widowed, lives alone in a senior housing facility and just does not enjoy cooking for one person – herself. One of my greatest joys is cooking for my Mom and/or sharing everything I make.  Rita is so appreciative and happy about this… but she’s still very interested in every single ingredient in every single cooking creation.

That’s my Mom.  And this is why I feel so good about the recipes I’ve been cookin’ up with Hunt’s Signature Recipe Collection.  This week, I delivered the most delicious Tomato and Bacon Tortellini and Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole.  Each surpassed the highest Rita taste-test and healthy eating test!

Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole

I wrote about Hunt’s Tomato and Bacon Tortellini here.

This is how I made Hunt’s Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole in 35 minutes:

Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole: from Hunt’s Signature Recipe
At my fingertips!

Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole: from Hunt’s Signature Recip

Ingredients for a Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole:

Medium pasta shells. PAM Original No-stick Cooking Spray. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Garlic powder. Chopped green bell pepper. 1 can Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes. 1 can Hunt’s Tomato Sauce. Shredded Italian-blend cheese.

I doubled the above recipe because I know how popular this meal is with my family, and how many “hands” would be raised for take-home/lunches/dinners from this Mom- me!

Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole: from Hunt’s Signature Recip

Steps How to Make Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole:

I feel good about Hunt’s Tomato Sauce because it’s made from all-natural, vine-ripened tomatoes with spices, salt and natural flavors.  Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes are peeled, packed in their own juices; and FlashSteam – no chemicals – is used to bring us the best, most fresh, most delicious product.  This is very important to me.

Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole: from Hunt’s Signature Recip

Cook pasta.

Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole: from Hunt’s Signature Recip

Brown bite-sized chicken, sprinkled with garlic powder.

Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole: from Hunt’s Signature Recip

Add chopped green pepper and cook until tender.

This is where I traded the skillet for the stock pot recipe-doubling…

Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole: from Hunt’s Signature Recip

Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole: from Hunt’s Signature Recip

Add Diced Tomatoes and Tomato Sauce to the Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole

Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole: from Hunt’s Signature Recip

Add 3/4 Italian-blend cheese.

Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole: from Hunt’s Signature Recip

Add cooked pasta.

Transfer mixture to prepared (PAM Cooking Spray) baking dish (mine is 4-quart for doubled recipe)…

Hunt's Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole

Bake in 375 degree oven for 15 minutes, until cheese is bubbly…

Hunt's Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole

A healthy, nutritious, easy, QUICK meal in 35 minutes of Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole

How easy what that to make the Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole

Well, two healthy, nutritious, easy QUICK meals in 35 minutes.  I made both Hunt’s Tomato and Bacon Tortellini and Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole simultaneously.  They were that easy…

Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole: from Hunt’s Signature Recip

A little taste-test of my own…

Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole: from Hunt’s Signature Recip

… a little cooling, and packing up for Mom’s dinners –

Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole: from Hunt’s Signature Recip

Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole: from Hunt’s Signature Recip

Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole: from Hunt’s Signature Recip
Dinner Bell!

Ready to deliver to my beautiful Mom!

Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole: from Hunt’s Signature Recip

Here’s a photo of Mom and me…

Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole: from Hunt’s Signature Recip
Lovely, lovely Rita – my healthy mentor!

If you enjoy this wonderful, easy recipe, try these others from Hunt’s Signature Recipe Collection:

Hunt’s Chicken with Mediterranean Vegetables and Hunt’s Fire-Roasted Beef Chili

Have you ever used Hunt’s canned tomatoes? Take this quick-and-easy survey about Hunt’s to let us know! CLICK HERE to take the super-quick survey.

Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole

Disclosure: I am proudly working with Hunt’s. Although this is sponsored content, Hunt’s has always been my go-to favorite and all of my opinions are my own.

About Audrey

Audrey McClelland has been a digital influencer since 2005. She’s a mom of 5 and shares tips on her three favorite things: parenting, fashion and beauty. She’s also a Contemporary Romance Author.

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10 Comments

  1. 2.7.13
    mel said:

    Man, this looks so good! We have Hunts in our cabinet- I think I am going to try this! Thanks!

  2. 2.7.13
    Alicia said:

    Not only does this look great – but the fact that you made two dinners simultaneously is fabulous! Will definitely be making. Thank you!

  3. 2.7.13

    This is fabulous. I love love love the picture of you and your mother. She’s beautiful, as are you!!

    This recipe looks perfect and I think my son would love it. I’ll have to try it ASAP!!

  4. 2.7.13

    When I went shopping Sunday I bought 10 cans of Hunts and I have all the other ingredients on hand. Guess what I’m making!

  5. 2.7.13
    Sheri said:

    I think the best thing about cooking is being able to share it with loved ones. That looks delicious!

  6. 2.8.13
    candice said:

    This is totally hitting all my pregnancy cravings. Chicken, pasta, cheese and sauce! Yum! Also, what a sweet dinner delivery to a very special lady.

  7. 2.8.13

    I think it is so sweet that you make your mom meals and bring them to her! These all look so quick and easy! I need to throw a few into my weekly meal planning cycle!

  8. 2.8.13
    Kirsten said:

    You should know that in doing my pre-blizzard shopping trip today I needed to stock up on sauce. My MIL cooks with Pastene and so I have bought that brand for years out of habit. Today, I kept on going and didn’t stop til I got to the Hunts! I bought LOTS! You’ve inspired me – thank you!

  9. 2.8.13

    Oh yum!!! We have all of these things in the house. I’m pretty sure I know what our blizzard dinner will be! Thanks for the idea 🙂

  10. 2.8.13

    I am LOVING these Hunt’s recipes, please keep them coming! I just picked up some at the store yesterday and will be making up some of your recipes 🙂

Comments are closed.