This creamy pasta dish is the best way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken! Add frozen peas and a quick white cheddar sauce, and it doesn’t get easier for a weeknight dinner. Meal prep it ahead of time and bake to warm day of!
MAKING LEFTOVER ROTISSERIE CHICKEN PASTA
This recipe for Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Pasta will work with any leftover chicken. For the pictures of the chicken you see here, I used my Whole Chicken in the Air Fryer recipe!
Just start with 2-3 cups of diced, cooked chicken, shredded cheese (I used white cheddar) and some cooked pasta. The rest of it is so easy and takes about 20 minutes to throw together.
STEP 1 – Make the sauce
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic
- Saute the onion in a sauce pan with some olive oil over medium/high heat for about 5 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and saute for another couple of minutes.
- Add the salt, pepper, broth and milk, stir and bring to a simmer.
- When the liquid is hot, move half a cup to a bowl and add the corn starch to it. Whisk until there are no lumps, then add that back to the saucepan.
- Stir to combine and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Whisk occasionally.
- When the liquid is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, remove it from the heat and whisk in the cheeses.
I found this wonderful Extra Sharp White Cheddar in the Target grocery section of all places!
They had a great selection of special cheeses. I originally was looking for Smoked Gouda, but they didn’t have any. I settled on this, and it was delicious.
Bold and creamy, indeed!
STEP 2 – Put it together
- Add the cooked pasta to a large mixing bowl
- To that throw in your diced chicken
- Add the peas. Leave them frozen! So easy.
- Then pour in the sauce
- Mix everything together
- Add the rest of the cheese and then give it a final mix
- Pour the entire thing into a baking dish
At this point you can either let it cool, cover and put in the fridge for later, or you can bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes to melt the cheese and warm everything through.
Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Pasta is completely delicious the next day, so it’s a wonderful make ahead meal!
CHEF’S NOTE:
If your chicken is already two or three days old, you’ll want to eat this day of. However, if you bought or made chicken that day for this recipe, then it can be kept in the fridge for up to 3-4 days before eating.
How long is a rotisserie chicken good for in the fridge? It will be good for 3-4 days because it’s cooked at the store the day you buy it.
PRO TIP:
If you aren’t eating the chicken off the bone, save the carcass, juices and any skin to make homemade chicken stock! Just place it all in a freezer safe zip top bag and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to use, like in the photo below.
LOOKING FOR MORE EASY CHICKEN RECIPES?
TRY THESE:
- Pressure Cooker Chicken Thighs in Orange Sauce
- The Best Lemon Garlic Chicken Recipe (great for freezing!)
- Dairy-free Chicken Alfredo over Zoodles
- Teriyaki Chicken and Veggies (sheet pan meal)
- Paleo Cranberry Chicken for the Instant Pot
- Skillet Artichoke Chicken with Carrot Puree
- Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Chicken for Tacos
- Mushroom Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas
- Creamy Coconut Lime Skillet Chicken
TRY THESE OTHER RECIPES THAT FEATURE WAYS TO USE LEFTOVER ROTISSERIE CHICKEN!
- Make Homemade Enchiladas!
- Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Soup
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
- Fiesta Chicken Casserole
- Grandma’s Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
- Skillet Pot Pie
I used my Zen Chef Pro XXL Air Fryer to make the chicken that ended up in this recipe for Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Pasta. My recipe for Whole Chicken in the Air Fryer comes out exactly like a rotisserie chicken from the store! Only the skin is extra crispy.
What is your favorite way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken? Tell me in the comments! And if you make this Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Pasta with Peas and White Cheddar Sauce, I’d love to hear what you think. Come back to leave a comment and a star rating!
Vanessa at The Cheerful Kitchen
Yields 4 servings
Have you made this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below!
20 minPrep Time
20 minCook Time
40 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- One small onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons corn starch
- 2-3 cups diced leftover rotisserie chicken
- 1 box of pasta, cooked (I used Banza gluten-free pasta)
- 1/2 bag frozen peas, about 1 1/2 cups
- 4oz or 1 cup shredded white cheddar
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
- In a sauce pan, saute the onions for 5 minutes over medium heat in 1 Tablespoon of oil.
- Add the minced garlic and saute for another 2 minutes
- Add salt, pepper, broth and milk, stir and bring to a simmer.
- When the liquid is hot, carefully move 1/2 cup of the liquid to a bowl and whisk in the corn starch until all lumps are gone, then add that back to the pot. Stir it in and continue to simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 more minutes, whisking occasionally.
- Turn the heat off and whisk in the white cheddar and parmesan.
- Put the pasta in a large mixing bowl and add the diced chicken, frozen peas and sauce. Mix to combine well. Add the rest of the cheese and stir again.
- Pour the pasta into a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and everything is heated through.
- If you want to make this ahead of time to warm and eat later, complete all the steps but do not put into the oven. Let the pasta cool completely, cover and keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. (See notes if using leftover chicken!)
- When ready to eat, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and heat for 30 minutes covered and another 15 minutes uncovered.
Notes
1. If you want to make this ahead of time to warm and eat later, complete all the steps but do not put into the oven. Let the pasta cool completely, cover and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. When ready to eat, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and heat for 30 minutes covered and another 15 minutes uncovered.
2. To make gluten-free you can use chickpea or pea pasta. I used Banza branch garbanzo bean pasta which is available at Sprouts and Costco!
3. If your chicken has already been in your fridge for two or three days, you’ll want to eat this pasta dish day of. However, if you bought or made chicken that day for this recipe, then it can be kept in the fridge for up to 3-4 days before eating.
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