Take pasta night to the next level with this easy to make and deliciously cheesy Chicken Cannelloni! It’s stuffed with feta cheese, spinach and is drenched in a variation of rosé sauce and covered with parmesan cheese.
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Oh my goodness I just love this chicken cannelloni with rosé sauce. It is so creamy, flavourful and just straight up delicious! So much better than lasagna. Yup, I went there.. It’s better than lasagna.. I’d say the same thing every day of the week unless it’s my mom’s lasagna. Ain’t no toppin’ that!
This recipe is a great way to make a yummy meal out of a leftover chicken breast. I am always buying the family pack of chicken from my local grocery store which comes with three breasts, so I often have one leftover. I’ll cook it with the other two and set it aside for something else, like this amazing Spinach, Feta and Chicken Cannelloni with Rosé Sauce!
Why it works
- Chicken, feta and spinach pair beautifully in this cannelloni recipe, bringing you a pasta dish that is anything but ordinary.
- You’ll get binge worthy pasta without a ton of effort!
- Prep it ahead of time and then simply toss it in the oven for an hour when ready to enjoy!
- Give new life to leftover chicken; it’s basically the best way to use it up, in my opinion. 😏
Ingredients
Chicken – We like to use any leftover chicken, or it can be cooked for this cannelloni. You’ll need about 1 large breast, including the tender. Rotisserie chickens are great to use as well because the meat is so tender!
Spinach – Look for frozen spinach that has already been chopped, then simply thaw and squeeze out the liquid using paper towel. If you only have fresh spinach, cook it first before ringing out excess water, and then chop it up.
Cannelloni Noodles – We use pre made dry cannelloni tubes to make our lives a little bit easier, and save a bunch of time. Feeling adventurous? Try making it from scratch!
Marinara – Buy your own favourite marinara sauce, or make your own in just 10 minutes!
How to make Chicken Cannelloni
Heat oven to 350° and heat a skillet on medium high heat with olive oil. Once hot, add minced onion and cook until translucent. Stir in finely minced garlic until fragrant, 1-2 minutes, then remove from the heat.
Grab a medium bowl and either shred the chicken into very small pieces, or mince it finely. Squeeze all of the moisture from the spinach, then add it to the bowl along with the crumbled feta, egg, lemon juice, fried onion and garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Fill cannelloni noodles until all of the chicken mixture is used up; you should get about 10 cannelloni noodles filled.
Spread 1/2 cup marinara all over the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish. Space the chicken cannelloni around the baking dish, being sure to leave space in between because the noodles will spread while they bake.
Pour 1 1/2 cups marinara evenly over the noodles; be sure some of the sauce goes in between each noodle. The noodles do not need to be submerged in the sauce, there just needs to be a little bit over each one.
Pour the heavy cream over the middle of the noodles and top with the grated parmesan cheese.
Cover with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover the dish and then bake for an additional 15 minutes. Serve hot and and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Shred the chicken into very small pieces, and be sure to mince the onion finely. This will make stuffing the cannelloni tubes easier.
- Remove all excess water from the spinach by wrapping it in paper towel and then squeezing.
- If the cheese is is not bubbly and slightly browned, broil for a couple of minutes until it is. Be careful – that cheese will burn quickly!
FAQ
Can you freeze Chicken Cannelloni?
You bet! Simply follow the instructions right up until you toss it in the oven; cover with the tin foil and toss it in the freezer instead! When you are ready to cook it, just thaw overnight in the fridge before baking it. If it is still frozen, you may need to bake it a little longer. Make sure the internal temperature of the cannelloni had reached 165°.
What is the easiest way to fill cannelloni tubes?
Your very own fingers are the best tool for the job! Hold a finger over one end of the cannelloni tube. Grab a bit of the chicken mixture and then stuff it tight using another finger.
Can chicken cannelloni be made ahead of time?
Definitely! Get the cannelloni stuffed with it’s cheesy-chicken goodness, have them placed in the sauce with the extra sauce on top, heavy cream poured and parmesan sprinkled on top. Cover with tin foil and store in the refrigerator until it’s time to bake. Be sure the internal temperature of 165° has been reached.
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Wow this recipe is so good and delicious thank you for sharing the recipe
yay! Glad you loved it as well!!!