Easy Weeknight Pesto Chicken Pasta: Your Ultimate Cheesy, Flavor-Packed Family Dinner Solution

Welcome to your new favorite weeknight dinner! This Easy Pesto Chicken Pasta recipe delivers simple, incredibly cheesy pasta loaded with vibrant spinach, tender artichoke hearts, savory sun-dried tomatoes, and perfectly cooked chicken. It’s a wholesome and utterly delicious family meal that’s tailor-made for your busiest evenings, proving that a satisfying dinner doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming.

Oh yes, this is absolutely happening. Imagine a bowl of creamy, cheesy pasta, enveloped in the easiest sauce you’ve ever whipped up, all ready in under 20 minutes. Sounds like a dream, right? This recipe makes that dream a reality, thanks to simple yet powerful ingredients like Tyson® Grilled & Ready® Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breast. We’re talking about a mid-week, back-to-school season lifesaver that will leave everyone at the table feeling completely satisfied and you feeling like a culinary superhero without the effort.

This post is truly for all the parents out there – the ones who feel like they’re ready to “lose it” by Wednesday, who come home after a long day feeling beat and stressed, but still need to feed hungry mouths and be present for their families. For those moments when you just crave a comforting meal, something like pasta loaded with cheese or a super easy dinner that requires minimal effort, because, let’s be honest, by then, you’re pretty much done for the day. That’s precisely where Tyson® Grilled & Ready® Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breast swoops in to save the day, transforming mealtime from a chore into a simple joy.

I’m thrilled to be partnering with Tyson Foods on this project, bringing you solutions that genuinely simplify meal preparation. Beyond this fantastic pasta dish, their pre-cooked chicken is incredibly versatile for so many other quick meals. Think about upgrading your lunch routine with delicious sandwiches or satisfying quesadillas, or simply serving it alongside some peas and carrots for a straightforward meal. I know, it might seem early to be thinking about “Back-to-School,” but living in Florida means school starts in early August, so the preparation begins sooner than you’d expect. This year, I made a conscious effort to get ahead, dedicating time to plan ready-to-go dinner solutions that streamline my evenings. Go me! And you can too.

The Tyson® Grilled & Ready® Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breast has become a particular favorite of mine. It’s genuinely a simple, effective solution to many of my daily challenges. I keep a bag (or two!) in the freezer, making it incredibly convenient to grab a portion and add it to whatever I’m cooking, whenever I need it. Its pre-cooked nature eliminates cooking time for the chicken, which is a huge time-saver and makes dinner come together so much faster.

You can see just how seamlessly the Tyson® Grilled & Ready® Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breast integrates into various meals, like the vibrant salad pictured below.

Speaking of life-saving hacks, have you tried Walmart’s online grocery pickup service yet? Holy COW, it is ridiculously easy, and it’s FREE! If you haven’t already, simply navigate to Walmart’s website and create a login. The process is intuitive and takes just a few minutes, setting you up for a smoother shopping experience.

Once you’re set up, searching for the groceries you need is super simple. I’ve never had any trouble tracking down specific items or finding the exact package size I want. The best part is that you’re not limited to just groceries; I get all my household essentials this way – everything from paper towels and kitty litter to laundry detergent and even clothes hangers. It’s a one-stop-shop that saves me from navigating crowded aisles and long checkout lines, which is a godsend for busy parents.

When your virtual cart is full, you just click checkout, pay, and then select your preferred pick-up time. As you can see under the arrow in the photo above (not provided here, but imagine a screenshot from the original article), there’s a clear link to schedule your pick-up. For me, it has always been available for the next day, though I’m not sure if that’s consistent for every store. When your time slot arrives, you simply drive to the store. My local Walmart has designated spots for online pickup, so I pull in, call them to let them know I’m there, and they bring all my goods right out to my car. You don’t even have to step foot inside the store! And here’s the clincher that makes it even better: if they don’t have an item in stock, they substitute it, usually for a larger, upgraded item, and you are never charged more. That’s often a fantastic score! Plus, if you’re not happy with the replacement item, you can decline it on the spot and you’ll be credited back the amount. It’s a win-win system.

So, if you’re really into meal planning, like I am, and aim to make only one grocery run a week (a goal I pray for!), this service is absolutely fantastic. It helps me get my shopping done efficiently, allowing me to move on with the rest of my busy schedule. This service will literally save me once the kids are back in school and our routine becomes even more demanding. By the way, this also really helps me stick to my budget because I can only add items from my pre-made list, preventing impulse purchases. Get it? It’s a total game-changer for financial planning too!

Alright, now let’s talk about this amazing recipe – because I can’t possibly talk about convenient food solutions without also offering a delicious way to use them, right? My main goal here was to create a creamy, cheesy dinner that felt comforting and indulgent, but without all the fussy steps typically involved in making something like macaroni and cheese from scratch. I wanted this to be a true weeknight warrior, a dinner that gives you a warm hug at the end of a long day. And the absolute easiest part? You don’t even have to thaw the chicken! Just throw it straight into the dish, and it will be perfectly cooked and tender by the time it comes out of the oven, infused with all the wonderful flavors.

And let’s not forget the spinach! It adds a beautiful touch of green, a boost of nutrients, and a fresh, earthy balance to all that glorious cheese and creamy sauce. It’s a simple addition that elevates the dish and makes it feel a little lighter and more complete.

Easy Pesto Chicken Pasta

This incredibly easy and cheesy pasta dish is packed with fresh spinach, tender artichoke hearts, sweet sun-dried tomatoes, and succulent pre-cooked chicken. It’s the perfect comforting and satisfying meal for your busiest weeknights.

5 from 1 vote

Print
Pin
Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: easy dinner, pasta bake

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Author: Erica

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 6 oz bag fresh baby spinach leaves
• 1 14 oz can quartered artichoke hearts
• ½ cup julienne sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil drained
• 10 oz Tyson® Grilled & Ready® Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breast or can substitute Tyson® Grilled & Ready® Refrigerated Chicken – if using refrigerated, you do not have to thaw in advance.
• 1 8 oz tub garden vegetable cream cheese
• 2 cups milk
• 1 Tbs store-bought pesto
• 1 4 oz bag shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 8 oz bag shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 8 oz pasta of choice I used orecchiette pasta

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. While the pasta cooks, preheat your oven broiler, positioning the rack in the upper-middle section for optimal browning.
• Add your chosen pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Once cooked, drain thoroughly and set aside.
• Meanwhile, as the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet (like a cast-iron skillet) over medium-high heat. Add the fresh baby spinach leaves and sauté until they are completely wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Then, add the drained, cooked pasta, quartered artichoke hearts, julienne sun-dried tomatoes (drained), the Tyson® Grilled & Ready® Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breast (no need to thaw!), garden vegetable cream cheese, milk, and pesto. Stir gently but thoroughly until the cream cheese melts and all ingredients are well combined and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
• Once everything is mixed, evenly layer the shredded mozzarella cheese over the top of the pasta mixture in the skillet. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven under the broiler. Broil for approximately 5 minutes, or until the mozzarella cheese is bubbling, melted, and golden brown on top, creating a delicious cheesy crust. Keep a close eye on it, as broilers can vary in intensity. Carefully remove from the oven and serve immediately. This recipe yields 6 satisfying servings.