pasta

Make Ahead Chicken and Spinach Penne Alfredo

You’re going to love this make ahead chicken and spinach penne Alfredo. It is perfect for giving a friend who is moving, expecting, adopting, or going through a difficult season. It is an all in one meal that packs a flavourful punch.

I know the pictures don’t make it look like the prettiest dish ever. It’s not. But it is loaded with flavour and it is an easy meal that will soon become a family staple. The combination of the pesto and Alfredo create a unique taste. Give it a try!

Chicken and Spinach Penne Alfredo Recipe:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
410 mL jar of Alfredo sauce
2 Tbsp. pesto
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. olive oil
1 227g bag of fresh spinach
4 cups dry penne pasta

Before assembling this freezer meal, cook and cube the chicken. I prepare many freezer meals at one time, so I find that the fastest way to cook large amounts of chicken breasts is to place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and cook them in the oven. Once they are cooked, I cube them. If you’re only making the chicken for this one recipe, you can instead cube the raw chicken and cook it in a skillet in a bit of oil on medium-high heat.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add pasta. Cook for 1 minute less than the box directions call for. This is because you want the pasta slightly undercooked so that it doesn’t become mushy after freezing and reheating. Drain the pasta.

In a skillet on the stovetop, heat the olive oil. Add the spinach and saute until wilted. Mix the Alfredo sauce, pesto, and garlic into the drained pasta.

Add the cooked, cubed chicken, pasta mixture and spinach to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the extra air and seal before freezing.

On the day of cooking, thaw the bag before placing its contents into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Bake, covered in a preheated 350° oven for 45 minutes.

The chicken and spinach penne Alfredo has everything you need for a complete meal so you can serve it on its own or pair it with a salad and some bread.

Chicken and Spinach Penne Alfredo Recipe

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Alfredo, italian, penne, spinach

Servings: 6

Calories: 307 kcal

Ingredients

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and cubed
410 ml jar of Alfredo sauce
2 Tbsp pesto
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp olive oil
227 g bag fresh spinach
4 cups dry penne pasta

Instructions

Cook chicken either in the oven or on the stovetop and cube it.
Cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the directions call for. This is because you want the pasta slightly undercooked so that it doesn’t become mushy after freezing and reheating. Drain the pasta.
In a skillet on the stovetop, heat the olive oil. Add the spinach and saute until wilted. Mix the Alfredo sauce, pesto, and garlic into the drained pasta.
Add the cooked, cubed chicken, pasta mixture and spinach to a large resealable freezer bag.
Remove the extra air and seal before freezing.

Cooking Instructions:

On the day of cooking, thaw the bag before placing its contents into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Bake, covered in a preheated 350° oven for 45 minutes.
The chicken, spinach, and penne Alfredo has everything you need for a complete meal. Serve it on its own or pair it with a salad and some bread.

Check out these other great casserole-style freezer meals:

Chicken and Vegetable Casserole with Crispy Onion Topping Tex Mex Pasta Bake

Tex Mex Pasta Bake Freezer Meal

By Sharla

There is this Mexican Lasagna dish that I’ve been making for at least fifteen years. It’s my husband’s favourite meal of all time and I love it too, but it’s a bit time consuming to make with the making the sauce and layering it and baking it.

I don’t make it nearly as often as my husband would like me too. I actually rarely make it unless he specifically requests it for a birthday or we have company coming over. You can imagine my surprise when this Tex Mex Pasta Bake tasted just like the Mexican Lasagna recipe!I don’t always include the pasta when I make a pasta freezer meal, but in this case, I wanted to make things as easy as possible for cooking day. Instructions are included below for each method.

Tex Mex Pasta Bake Recipe:

12 oz. package of egg noodles
1 lb. extra lean ground beef, browned
1 packet taco seasoning or 4 Tbsp. homemade taco seasoning
4 oz. can of green chilies
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
3 cups salsa
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Method #1:

Brown the ground beef and allow to cool somewhat.

While the beef is browning, cook the egg noodles according to the package directions. Drain. Allow the noodles to cool a bit and add them to a large resealable bag.

Put 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese in a medium resealable bag and seal.

Mix the remaining cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, green chilies, taco seasoning, and ground beef together. Place them in the large bag with the noodles. Remove excess air and seal and then staple the bag of cheese to the larger bag above the seal.

On your cooking day, take the freezer meal out of the freezer and thaw. Mix together the pasta and sauce and place it in a casserole dish. Top with the contents of the cheese bag. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes covered or until cheese is melted.

Method #2:

Place 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese in a medium resealable bag and seal well.

Brown the ground beef and allow it to cool a bit. Place the beef, remaining cheese and all ingredients other than the pasta in a large resealable bag. Remove the air and seal before stapling the smaller bag to the larger bag above the seal.

On the day of cooking, thaw the bags. Boil water and cook the pasta according to package directions. Stir together the pasta and the sauce from the large bag and put in a large casserole dish. Top with the shredded cheese. Bake covered at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

I am so happy to have found something that is so easy to make (and in fact can be made ahead as a freezer meal) but carries those same rich flavours of the Mexican Lasagna we love so much! I’ve already put this Tex Mex pasta bake on the list of recipes to make every time my neighbour and I do our freezer meal assembly sessions. It’s a keeper!

Tex Mex Pasta Bake Recipe

I don't always include the pasta when I make a pasta freezer meal, but in this case, I wanted to make things as easy as possible for cooking day. Instructions are included below for each method.

Servings: 6

Calories: 613 kcal

Ingredients

12 oz. package of egg noodles
1 lb. extra lean ground beef browned
1 packet taco seasoning or 4 Tbsp. homemade taco seasoning
4 oz. can of green chilies
4 oz. cream cheese softened
1/4 cup sour cream
3 cups salsa
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Method #1:

Brown the ground beef and allow to cool somewhat.
While the beef is browning, cook the egg noodles according to the package directions.
Drain.
Allow the noodles to cool a bit and add them to a large resealable bag.
Put 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese in a medium resealable bag and seal.
Mix the remaining cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, green chilies, taco seasoning, and ground beef together.
Place them in the large bag with the noodles.
Remove excess air and seal.
Staple the bag of cheese to the larger bag above the seal.
On your cooking day, take the freezer meal out of the freezer and thaw.
Mix together the pasta and sauce and place it in a casserole dish.
Top with the contents of the cheese bag.
Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes covered or until cheese is melted.

Method #2:

Place 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese in a medium resealable bag and seal well.
Brown the ground beef and allow it to cool a bit.
Place the beef, remaining cheese and all ingredients other than the pasta in a large resealable bag.
Remove the air and seal.
Staple the smaller bag to the larger bag above the seal.
On the day of cooking, thaw the bags.
Boil water and cook the pasta according to package directions.
Stir together the pasta and the sauce from the large bag and put in a large casserole dish.
Top with the shredded cheese.
Bake covered at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Check out these other freezer meals:

Seafood Curry Pasta

Chicken and Vegetable Casserole with Crispy Onion Topping

Seafood Curry Pasta Freezer Meal

By Sharla

This seafood curry pasta recipe is one that I adapted into a freezer meal. It is so delicious. The flavours may not sound like they go together, but they create a beautiful medley.

Seafood Curry Pasta Recipe:

5 oz. (150 g) scallops
7 oz. (200 g) deveined large shrimp
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
6 mushrooms, sliced
3 Tbsp. sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 cup pineapple juice
10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
370 mL can evaporated milk
350 g penne for day of serving

Method #1:

To begin assembling this meal, place the scallops and shrimp into a medium resealable bag and seal. It’s important to have these in a separate bag for two reasons. The first is that they require less cook time than the other ingredients and you don’t want to ruin this beautiful dish by having overcooked seafood in it. The second is because the acidity in the pineapple juice can begin to cook the seafood if it marinates together and that would be a culinary tragedy!

Place all the other ingredients except for the pasta in a large resealable bag and squish together to combine. Remove excess air and seal. Staple both bags together above the seal and freeze.

On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer. Thaw. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, heat the large bag of ingredients in a skillet over medium heat for 7 minutes. Add the seafood to the skillet and heat until cooked through. Serve over the pasta.

Method #2:

If you prefer to have less to do on the day of cooking, you can also assemble this meal in a different way. Place the scallops and shrimp in a medium resealable bag and seal. Cook the pasta to slightly under what the package directions suggest. You don’t want it to become too mushy which is why you want the pasta slightly undercooked. Drain.

Mix the pasta and the other ingredients together and add them all to a large resealable bag. Seal. Staple the two bags together above the seal and freeze.

On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer. Thaw. Heat the main bag of ingredients in a large skillet over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring often. Add the scallops and shrimp to the pasta in the skillet and heat until cooked through.

Personally, I like to serve mine with red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese. This dish is chock full of flavour.

Seafood Curry Pasta Recipe

This seafood curry pasta recipe is one that I adapted into a freezer meal. It is so delicious. The flavours may not sound like they go together, but they create a beautiful medley.

Servings: 6

Calories: 921 kcal

Ingredients

5 oz. 150 g scallops
7 oz. 200 g deveined large shrimp
1/2 onion thinly sliced
6 mushrooms sliced
3 Tbsp. sun dried tomatoes in oil drained
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 cup pineapple juice
10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
370 mL can evaporated milk
350 g penne for day of serving

Instructions

Method #1:

Place the scallops and shrimp into a medium resealable bag and seal.
It's important to have these in a separate bag for two reasons.
The first is that they require less cook time than the other ingredients and you don't want to ruin this beautiful dish by having overcooked seafood in it.
The second is because the acidity in the pineapple juice can begin to cook the seafood if it marinates together and that would be a culinary tragedy!
Place all the other ingredients except for the pasta in a large resealable bag.
Squish together to combine.
Remove excess air and seal.
Staple both bags together above the seal and freeze.
On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer.
Thaw.
Cook pasta according to package instructions.
Drain and set aside.
10. While the pasta is cooking, heat the large bag of ingredients in a skillet over medium heat for 7 minutes.
11. Add the seafood to the skillet and heat until cooked through.
12. Serve over the pasta.

Method #2 (shorter version):

Place the scallops and shrimp in a medium resealable bag and seal.
Cook the pasta to slightly under what the package directions suggest. You don't want it to become too mushy which is why you want the pasta slightly undercooked.
Drain.
Mix the pasta and the other ingredients together and add them all to a large resealable bag.
Seal.
Staple the two bags together above the seal and freeze.
On the day of cooking, take the bag out of the freezer.
Thaw.
Heat the main bag of ingredients in a large skillet over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring often.
10. Add the scallops and shrimp to the pasta in the skillet and heat until cooked through.

Recipe Notes

Personally, I like to serve mine with red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese. This dish is chock full of flavour.

This Seafood Curry Pasta recipe is included in our More Family Favorites Freezer Meal Plan. The plan includes some of our other favorite recipes along with shopping lists and printable labels.

Sausage and Peppers Skillet Freezer Meal Chicken and Vegetable Casserole with Crispy Onion Topping