This is a baked rotini casserole built on a garlic-mushroom white sauce, ground chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and two cheeses. It takes about 75 minutes start to finish and feeds four people without requiring any advanced cooking skills. If you want a filling pasta bake that reheats well and uses ingredients you can find at any grocery store, this one delivers.
The technique that matters
The white sauce is the part that trips people up, so it’s worth slowing down here. After you melt the butter and stir in the flour and garlic, you’re making a roux — a paste that thickens the sauce. Cook it for the full three minutes before adding any milk, or the finished sauce will taste raw and floury. When you pour in the milk, go slowly and keep stirring. Adding it all at once causes lumps that are hard to fix later. The other technique worth noting is cooking the ground chicken properly. Ground poultry must reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) — no pink anywhere. Because ground chicken is pale even when raw, color alone isn’t a reliable guide. If you have an instant-read thermometer, use it. If not, break a piece open and look for completely opaque, white meat with no translucent or pink areas before you pull it off the heat.
Leftovers and meal prep
Once baked and cooled, leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave with a splash of milk stirred in — this loosens the sauce, which tightens up considerably after refrigeration. For oven reheating, cover the dish with foil and warm at 325°F for about 20 minutes. This casserole also freezes well: portion it into freezer-safe containers before freezing and use within two months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. If you want to prep ahead, you can assemble the whole casserole up to 24 hours in advance, cover it tightly, and refrigerate it unbaked — just add five to ten minutes to the bake time since it’s going in cold.
Troubleshooting
- Sauce is lumpy: This happens when milk is added too fast. Pour the sauce through a fine mesh strainer and whisk it smooth, then return it to the pan. Lumps at this stage are fixable — don’t throw it out.
- Pasta is mushy after baking: The rotini continues cooking in the oven, so pull it from the boiling water about two minutes before the package says it’s done. It should still have a slight bite when you drain it.
- Casserole looks dry after baking: The pasta absorbs liquid as it sits. If it looks tight before it goes in the oven, stir in an extra quarter cup of milk. Skip the garnish — not worth the extra dish — but do cover the casserole loosely with foil for the first ten minutes of baking if your oven runs hot.
- Cheese on top is burning before the center is hot: Lay a sheet of foil loosely over the dish after the first ten minutes. Remove it for the last five minutes if you want the Parmesan to brown.
- Ground chicken is sticking together in large clumps: Break it up with a wooden spoon or spatula as soon as it hits the pan. Ground chicken has less fat than beef or pork, so it can seize up quickly — keep it moving and break it into small pieces from the start.
Baked Rotini with Chicken and Tomatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 oz rotini - 225g
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 lb ground chicken - minced chicken, 450g
4 tablespoons butter - divided, 55g
5 oz button mushrooms - sliced, 140g
¼ cup all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK) - plain flour in Australia and UK, 30g
2 cloves garlic - minced- 3 cups whole milk - 720ml
1 cup mozzarella cheese - shredded, 115g
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes - oil-packed, drained and thinly sliced, 55g
¼ cup Parmesan cheese - finely grated, 25g
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C (180°C fan-forced).
- Lightly oil a 9×13 inch (23x33cm) casserole dish. Cook your rotini according to the packet directions. Drain and set aside.8 oz rotini
- While the pasta is cooking, place a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil to the skillet, then crumble in the ground chicken. Season with salt and pepper and cook, breaking the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until fully cooked through and no pink remains — about 6–8 minutes. Use an instant-read thermometer to confirm it has reached 165°F / 74°C.1 teaspoon vegetable oil, 1 lb ground chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter followed by mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms become tender, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to the same saucepan and stir until melted.4 tablespoons butter, 5 oz button mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Add the flour and garlic and cook, frequently stirring, about 3 minutes longer. While stirring quickly, slowly pour in the milk a little at a time. Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring constantly, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon — about 3–4 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the mozzarella until fully melted and smooth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.1/4 cup all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK), 2 cloves garlic, 3 cups whole milk, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Stir the reserved pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, and chicken into the sauce and pour into the casserole dish, spreading to distribute evenly. Sprinkle the pasta with Parmesan.8 oz rotini, 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, 1 lb ground chicken, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- Bake the pasta until bubbly, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Can I use ground turkey instead of ground chicken?
Yes, ground turkey works as a direct swap. The cook time and safe internal temperature are the same — 165°F (74°C) with no pink remaining. The flavor is slightly stronger than ground chicken but still mild enough to work with the white sauce.
How do I know when the ground chicken is fully cooked?
The safest check is an instant-read thermometer reading 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part. If you don’t have one, cut into the largest piece — the meat should be completely white and opaque with no pink or translucent areas anywhere.
Can I use dried sun-dried tomatoes instead of oil-packed?
You can, but rehydrate them first. Soak dried sun-dried tomatoes in warm water for about 15 minutes, then drain and slice. They won’t be as soft or rich as the oil-packed kind, but they’ll work.
My white sauce turned out very thick — is that okay?
A thick sauce is fine at this stage because the pasta and baking will loosen it slightly. If it’s so thick it won’t stir easily, add milk two tablespoons at a time until it moves freely. It should coat a spoon but still pour.
Can I leave out the mushrooms?
Yes, just skip them and proceed with the remaining butter for the roux. The sauce will be slightly less savory, but the dish still works. You could add a handful of baby spinach or diced zucchini at the same stage if you want a vegetable in there.
Can I assemble this ahead of time and bake it the next day?
Yes, assemble the casserole, cover it tightly with plastic wrap or foil, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. Add five to ten extra minutes to the bake time to account for the cold start, and check that the center is bubbling before pulling it out.
More mince recipes to try
- Creamy Beef Spinach Pasta
- Beef Ricotta Lasagna Rolls
- Chicken Macadamia Sausage Rolls
- Ultimate Cheesy Beef Bake
