Be Positive Casserole–an Instant Pot recipe for a lemon chicken pasta with spinach, garlic, parmesan cheese and toasted panko bread crumbs.
Be Positive Casserole
This sunny lemon chicken pasta dish is sure to put a positive spin on your day! It’s got lots of flavor from lemon zest, lemon juice and lemon pepper seasoning. With a crispy panko topping and melty mozzarella cheese all your flavor and taste bases are covered.
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Lemon pepper seasoning
- Better than Bouillon chicken base
- Bowtie pasta–or penne
- Cottage cheese–or ricotta cheese
- Butter
- Parmesan cheese
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Spinach–fresh or frozen
- Whole milk mozzarella cheese–it’s so good! I usually buy low fat but the whole milk is just too good to resist 🙂
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Olive oil
Steps
Trim chicken thighs of excess fat and cut them into 1 inch pieces. Add the chicken into Instant Pot. Stir in the lemon pepper seasoning. My chicken was partially frozen when I cut it up. I actually prefer cutting meats when they are partially frozen, I find it easier.
Pour in the water and stir in the bouillon base. Sprinkle in the bowtie pasta. You can also use a different type of short-cut pasta like penne.
Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 6 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
In a bowl whisk together the cottage cheese, butter, parmesan, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice.
Stir the mixture into the Instant Pot. Stir in the spinach.
Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top. In a small bowl stir the panko and olive oil together. Spoon the mixture over the top of the mozzarella.
Place air fryer lid on top and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. If you don’t have an air fryer you can place your stainless steel liner in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes/Tips
- Serve with fruit salad and asparagus or green beans.
- This recipe calls for chicken thighs because they stay more moist and tender than chicken breasts. You can use chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces but they don’t stay as moist and tender.
- I used my 6 quart Duo Crisp Instant Pot*. You can also make this in an 8 quart pot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Other recipes you can make with cottage cheese are Illinois Casserole and Million Dollar Casserole.
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
Be Positive Casserole
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
An Instant Pot recipe for a lemon chicken pasta with spinach, garlic, parmesan cheese and toasted panko bread crumbs.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
- 2 cups water
- 1 Tbsp Better than Bouillon chicken base
- 8 ounces bowtie pasta
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 Tbsp melted butter
- 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 cups chopped spinach
- 1/2 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Trim chicken thighs of excess fat and cut them into 1 inch pieces. Add the chicken into Instant Pot. Stir in the lemon pepper seasoning.
- Pour in the water and stir in the bouillon base.
- Sprinkle in the bowtie pasta.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 6 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- In a bowl whisk together the cottage cheese, butter, parmesan, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir the mixture into the Instant Pot. Stir in the spinach.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top.
- In a small bowl stir the panko and olive oil together. Spoon the mixture over the top of the mozzarella.
- Place air fryer lid on top and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. If you don’t have an air fryer you can place your stainless steel liner in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Instant Pot/Air fryer lid
More Instant Pot recipes with lemon…
Instant Pot Creamy Lemon Chicken
Tender seasoned chicken breasts enveloped in a creamy lemon sauce.
Instant Pot Lemon Rice
Greek-inspired lemon rice is perfect to serve as a side dish or with chicken. It’s flavor is subtle, but delicious.
Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Romano
Seasoned and sauteed chicken tenders with Romano cheese and creamy lemon sauce.
Instant Pot Honey Lemon Chicken
Bites of chicken and green beans in a lemon-honey sauce. An easy dump and go recipe!
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Can this be made in the regular oven and if so how would I make it?