Smoked Marry Me Chicken Casserole
Smoked Marry Me Chicken Casserole starts with leftover smoked chicken with pasta, cream sauce, and cooked on the smoker or pellet grill!
Equipment
- Smoker
- Traeger/Pellet Grill
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound short cut pasta of choice (penne, shells, cavatappi, rigatoni)
- 1/3 cup pasta water (scoop some out right before draining the pasta)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion diced
- 5 to 7 cloves garlic minced
- 8 ounces freshly chopped spinach
- kosher salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups heavy cream (you can add 1/2 to 1 more cup of cream for a richer, creamier casserole)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 4 cups leftover smoked, shredded chicken
- 4 to 8 ounces sliced sun dried tomatoes (more or less depending on how many you prefer)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Optional: basil or parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Boil the half pound of pasta in salted water according to package directions. Remember to save some pasta water right before draining and set aside.
- Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse very well with cold water to prevent it from becoming mushy.
- Set the same large pot that you boiled the pasta in on the stove over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the diced onion. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring a few times.
- Add the minced garlic, fresh spinach, kosher salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook this 3 to 4 more minutes, stirring a few times, and remove from the pot and set aside.
- Put the same pot, still over medium heat, and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, the heavy cream, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes stirring a few times. Stir in the shredded parmesan cheese during the last minute or so.Note: Carefully watch as the cream comes to a boil, remove the pot from the heat for a moment if it bubbles up too much. Continue stirring until it reaches a gentle simmer.
- Add the shredded chicken, sun dried tomatoes, cooked pasta, the reserved pasta water that was set aside earlier, and cooked spinach and stir until combined.
- Taste for seasoning and add more kosher salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and/or Italian seasoning if needed. Transfer to a casserole dish, top with the shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Set the smoker or pellet grill to 225. If you have "Super Smoke" as a feature, turn that on. Place the casserole dish on the grate for an hour.
- Serve garnished with basil or parsley if desired.