Spinach Artichoke Chicken Casserole | Vegan Option
If you love spinach artichoke dip, you will love this spinach artichoke pasta bake! Tender gluten-free pasta, artichoke hearts, rotisserie chicken, and a vegan cream sauce. An easy, dairy-free spinach artichoke chicken casserole with a vegan pasta bake option. A make-ahead, freezer-friendly dinner for the whole family!
What Makes This Recipe Great
Imagine the most delicious spinach artichoke dip made into a creamy, perfect casserole. Even better? It’s completely dairy free!
This spinach artichoke chicken casserole is loaded with gluten-free pasta, artichoke hearts, spinach, and chicken, then covered with a vegan cream sauce. Bake for twenty minutes and serve warm with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a side salad!
Healthier comfort food as tasty as the classic version, this cozy, delicious dinner will be a family favorite in no time.
Vegan Pasta Bake Option
Since the cream sauce is already vegan, it’s super easy to tweak this recipe and make a vegan pasta bake.
Simply skip the chicken, double the artichokes, and use a vegan cheese swap for the mozzarella. You’ll have a super yummy spinach artichoke vegan pasta bake so delicious that you won’t miss any of the dairy!
Ingredient Notes
See the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below.
Pasta Bake
Gluten-Free Pasta: I love the Jovial foods brand. For this spinach artichoke pasta bake recipe, I used Fusilli pasta.
Artichoke Hearts: Use one 15oz can of artichoke hearts. If making a vegan pasta bake, use two cans.
Raw Spinach: Be sure to chop your spinach.
Garlic: Mince fresh garlic cloves or a jar of minced garlic.
Chicken Breast: I used rotisserie to make this super quick and easy. You can also use leftover chicken. Whole Foods and Wegmans both have gluten free rotisserie chickens!
Mozzarella Cheese: Optional. Use regular or dairy-free mozzarella shreds, whichever you prefer. For the vegan pasta bake, use dairy-free cheese or skip this ingredient.
Vegan Cream Sauce
Raw Cashews: Use raw, unsalted cashews. No need to soak if you are using a high-speed blender. If not, soak for at least 1 hour before using.
Almond Milk: You can also use a can of full-fat coconut milk.
Cream Cheese: I like to use Kite Hill dairy-free cream cheese. It’s vegan and a delicious alternative.
Lemon: You’ll use the juice from half a lemon for this recipe. I recommend using fresh lemon juice, but a bottle will work in a pinch.
Nutritional Yeast: This gives a delicious cheesy flavor to the vegan cream sauce.
Red Pepper Flakes: Optional. Use more or less to taste.
Recipe Step by Step
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta al dente according to the package instructions.
- Combine sauce ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend on high for 1-2 mins until completely smooth and creamy.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add spinach, artichokes, and garlic and sauté until spinach is wilted.
- Add in the sauce + the diced chicken. Stir until combined.
- Drain pasta and add it to the mixture, stirring well.
- Transfer the mixture into a 9×13 casserole dish, top with mozzarella cheese, and bake for 20 mins, broiling at the end if you want to brown the top.
Mary’s Tip & Tricks
Storage: Store leftover spinach artichoke pasta bake in an airtight container and eat within 4 days.
How to Serve: Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm. Feel free to sprinkle vegan or regular parmesan and mozzarella cheeses on top if preferred. Goes great with a salad or your favorite gluten-free garlic bread.
Nutritional Yeast: This is a plant-based protein that gives dishes a delicious cheesy flavor without any dairy!
Pasta Water: You can use ¾ cups of the pasta water in the vegan cream sauce to make it extra creamy. You can also use regular water, whichever you prefer.
Swaps: If you aren’t gluten intolerant feel free to use regular pasta. If you can tolerate regular dairy products, feel free to swap them in as you like. Remember, this will change the nutritional information.
Recipe FAQs
Sometimes pasta bakes get too dry when there isn’t enough liquid to cover the pasta or they are overbaked. This also happens when you don’t use the correctly sized baking dish. The recipe instructions included should not have this issue.
This recipe is healthier comfort food. It has better-for-you ingredients and is a better indulgence than other options out there.
If you are using a high-speed blender, there is no need to soak the cashews. If not, soak for at least one hour.
Yes! Let the cooked casserole cool completely, then freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up in the microwave or oven.
Nothing! They mean the same thing. Often, which one you use depends on the region you are from. You could also call this dish a spinach artichoke chicken casserole or a spinach artichoke pasta bake and both would be right!
Spinach Artichoke Chicken Casserole | Vegan Option
Ingredients
- 1 (12 oz) box Jovial Foods Gluten Free Fusilli
- 1 (15 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 3 cups raw spinach, chopped
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups cooked chicken, diced, I used rotisserie
- 1 cup regular or dairy free mozzarella cheese, optional
Vegan Cream Sauce
- 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup almond milk, or full-fat coconut milk
- 4 oz Kite Hill cream cheese
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper, omit if you don't like heat
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to box directions. Combine sauce ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend on high for 1-2 mins until completely smooth and creamy.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add spinach, artichokes and garlic and sauté until spinach is wilted.
- Add in the sauce + the diced chicken. Stir until combined.
- Drain pasta and add it to the mixture, stirring well. Transfer the mixture into a 9×13 casserole dish, top with mozzarella cheese and bake for 20 mins, broiling at the end if you want to brown the top! Enjoy!
8 Comments on “Spinach Artichoke Chicken Casserole | Vegan Option”
Any advice on what I substitute for the cashews? I can’t have them. Thank you!
Hi! You could do full fat coconut milk instead. It won’t be easy creamy but still works!
So delicious and super easy to make! Definitely planning to have again soon!
Thanks Ella!
Yet another hit from MWL! So delicious and not hard to make at all. My whole family enjoyed it. I am looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow.
Thanks Melissa!
This is so so good! Great flavor and easy to make. Will definitely be putting this in my normal rotation!
Thanks Carrie!