Save My sister called me one Tuesday asking if I could make something that wasn't dry chicken breast for her meal prep, and honestly, I was tired of the same protein-heavy bakes everyone makes. So I raided my fridge, grabbed a container of Greek yogurt meant for breakfast, and wondered what would happen if I treated it like cream sauce instead. The result was this golden, bubbling casserole that somehow felt both indulgent and guilt-free, and she's been requesting it ever since.
I made this for a potluck where everyone brought the same sad pasta dish, and watching people go back for seconds while asking what was different about the sauce made my night. One friend actually asked if I'd used cream, and I got to explain the Greek yogurt trick like it was some secret I'd discovered myself, which honestly felt pretty great.
Ingredients
- Rotisserie chicken, shredded (3 cups): Using store-bought saves you thirty minutes and keeps the meat impossibly moist since it's already cooked perfectly.
- Plain Greek yogurt (2 cups): The 2% or whole milk versions create a sauce that's actually silky instead of chalky, so don't grab the nonfat.
- Part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup): This melts into the sauce and keeps it from breaking, plus the smaller amount compared to traditional Alfredo keeps things lighter.
- Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup, plus 1/4 cup for topping): Grate it fresh if you can because the pre-shredded stuff has additives that affect how it melts.
- Penne or rigatoni pasta (12 oz): These shapes trap the sauce in their ridges and tubes, so every bite gets creamy instead of leaving sauce at the bottom of the bowl.
- Fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped (2 cups): It wilts down to almost nothing, so don't be shy with the amount, and chopping it yourself makes it integrate better than leaving whole leaves.
- Garlic, minced (3 cloves): Mince it by hand because the smell while you're working is half the joy of cooking, and pre-minced garlic tastes like sadness in comparison.
- Olive oil (2 tablespoons): This is your flavor base, so use something you'd actually taste, not the cheapest bottle in the store.
- Low-sodium chicken broth (1 1/2 cups): The low-sodium matters here because you're adding Parmesan later and that brings its own salt.
- Italian seasoning (1 teaspoon): A humble seasoning that ties everything together without any single herb overpowering the dish.
- Salt and black pepper: Taste as you go because the final seasoning always matters more than what you measure out at the start.
- Red pepper flakes, optional (pinch): A whisper of heat wakes up the yogurt sauce and makes people lean in to figure out what they're tasting.
- Fresh parsley, chopped (2 tablespoons): Save this for the end because it adds brightness and color that the baked dish sometimes loses.
Instructions
- Get your oven ready and your baking dish waiting:
- Preheat to 375°F and grease a 9x13-inch dish so the pasta slides out cleanly when you're plating. This five minutes of prep work is your future self saying thank you.
- Boil the pasta until it's just barely tender:
- Cook it in salted water until you can bend a piece between your fingers but it still has backbone, because it'll soften more in the oven. Drain it and set it aside, and don't rinse it because that starch is your friend.
- Wake up the garlic in hot oil:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add minced garlic and wait for that perfume to fill your kitchen, about one minute. You'll know it's right when you can't resist leaning in to smell it.
- Build your sauce base with broth and seasonings:
- Pour in the chicken broth with Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and those red pepper flakes, then let it simmer gently for a few minutes so the flavors get to know each other. This small moment is what separates a flat sauce from one that tastes intentional.
- Turn down the heat and fold in the creamy magic:
- Lower heat to the gentlest setting and stir in Greek yogurt first, then the cheeses, stirring constantly until everything is smooth and glossy. Keep the heat low because yogurt can split if you rush it, and that would be a tragedy.
- Add the chicken and spinach and let them marry the sauce:
- Fold in the shredded rotisserie chicken and chopped spinach, cooking just until the spinach softens into the creamy sauce, about a minute or two. This is where your casserole starts to feel real.
- Combine everything in one glorious bowl:
- Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce mixture in a large bowl until every strand is coated and glistening. This step is crucial because you want it evenly distributed, not sauce pooling at the bottom.
- Transfer to your baking dish and top it:
- Pour the whole mixture into your prepared dish, spread it level, then shower the top with that remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan. The cheese on top is what turns golden and toasted while everything underneath stays creamy.
- Let the oven do its magic:
- Bake at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes until the edges are bubbling and the top has turned golden brown. The casserole will smell unbelievably good about halfway through, which is your signal that everything is working right.
- Let it rest before you dig in:
- Five minutes might feel short when you're hungry, but that rest lets the sauce set up so your first serving doesn't collapse on the plate. Finish with a scatter of fresh parsley because color matters on the plate.
Save There's this moment when you pull this out of the oven and the kitchen fills with this smell that makes you forget you're eating what's technically health-conscious food. My neighbor actually knocked on my door because she could smell it through the walls, and now we're forever friends because I had to invite her over to share it.
Why Greek Yogurt Works Better Than You'd Think
Most people hear Greek yogurt in a pasta sauce and immediately think it'll taste weird or tangy in a bad way, but the truth is that tangy undertone is exactly what stops this dish from feeling one-note and heavy like traditional Alfredo. The yogurt also has enough protein to make this feel substantial without that guilt-for-days feeling that cream sauces leave behind. When you taste it finished, you won't think about the yogurt at all, just that something tastes fresher and more interesting than the Alfredo you remember.
How to Make This Your Own
The beauty of this bake is that it's forgiving enough to bend to whatever you have on hand or whatever you're craving that week. I've added steamed broccoli florets, sliced mushrooms that I sauté first, even sun-dried tomatoes in a pinch, and every version tastes like itself and also still tastes right. The spinach is quietly doing a lot of work nutritionally, but if you hate it, you can absolutely leave it out or swap it for kale or even peas without changing anything else.
Serving Suggestions and Storage
This bake is a complete meal on its own, but I serve it alongside a crisp green salad because the acidity cuts through the creamy sauce and makes you want to go back for more. A glass of dry white wine, something you'd actually drink, brings out the brightness in the lemon notes that the yogurt has hiding in there. For leftovers, this keeps beautifully in the fridge for three days, and honestly it reheats better than fresh because the flavors have melted into each other overnight.
- Reheat gently in a 350°F oven for fifteen minutes with a little splash of chicken broth to restore the creaminess without drying it out.
- You can freeze it unbaked if you line your baking dish with foil first, then pop it straight in the oven from frozen and add about ten extra minutes to the bake time.
- Double this recipe without hesitation because it freezes beautifully and having one waiting in the freezer is insurance against a bad dinner day.
Save This casserole has become my answer to someone asking for a recipe that feels special but doesn't actually require special skills, and that's turned out to be exactly what people want to make. It's proof that lighter doesn't have to mean less delicious, and that's something worth remembering.
Recipe FAQs
- → Can I use chicken breasts instead of rotisserie chicken?
Yes, you can cook 2 boneless chicken breasts and shred them, or use leftover cooked chicken from any preparation. Rotisserie just adds convenience and seasoned flavor.
- → Will the Greek yogurt make the sauce curdle?
The key is keeping the heat low when adding Greek yogurt and never bringing it to a boil. Stir continuously over low heat until smooth and creamy.
- → Can I make this ahead of time?
Absolutely. Assemble everything in the baking dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Add 5-10 minutes to baking time if baking cold from the refrigerator.
- → What pasta shapes work best?
Penne and rigatoni are ideal because the tubes hold sauce well. Ziti, macaroni, or fusilli would also work. Avoid long strands like spaghetti or fettuccine.
- → How can I add more vegetables?
Steamed broccoli, sautéed mushrooms, roasted bell peppers, or sun-dried tomatoes all pair beautifully. Add them when folding in the spinach so they heat through without overcooking.
- → Can I freeze leftovers?
Yes, portion into airtight containers and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat covered at 350°F until hot throughout, adding a splash of broth if needed.