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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
Chicken Caruso is a classic, well-loved weeknight dish that’s perfect for using up last night’s chicken or turkey. Quick, hearty, and full of flavor, it combines pasta, veggies, almonds, and pimentos into a cozy, wholesome, and surprisingly nutritious meal!
If you’re serving Chicken Caruso, why not pair it with my Sautéed Green Beans or Classic Cheddar Bacon Green Pea Salad for a fresh, balanced meal? Or, for another quick and delicious weeknight meal, try my Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta!
Reader Review
This recipe is so good that I couldn’t STOP myself from eating it! So delicious, thank you!
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: This Chicken Caruso recipe is super easy to make! It’s great for busy nights, beginners, or home cooks craving a quick, cozy meal.
- Total Time: Dinner is served in about 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Variations: Use whatever leftovers you have on hand to customize this dish – spinach, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, other nuts, or your other favorite ingredients all work beautifully! Serve this caruso alongside a fresh Wedge Salad or with Classic Homemade Garlic Bread for an irresistible spread.
- Tools For This Recipe: You will need a saucepan, a large skillet, a spatula, and a spoon for stirring and serving!
What You’ll Need for Ingredients
Pasta: This recipe calls for 1 cup of elbow macaroni or corkscrew pasta, boiled in chicken broth for extra flavor. Karlynn’s Tip: If you want to try a different pasta shape, any small pasta like penne, shells, or mini rotini will do the trick!
Cooked Poultry: Use leftover cooked chicken or turkey, chopped into delicious bite-sized pieces. Karlynn’s Tip: Store-bought rotisserie chicken also works well as a quick caruso shortcut.
Veggies: Chopped green peppers, onions, frozen peas, and pimentos add color, texture, and brightness to your dish!
Old Cheddar Cheese: This adds a sharp, melty cheesiness that brings the dish together. Karlynn’s Tip: If there’s a specific cheese you love or have on hand, use it! A mix of cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Gruyère makes this Chicken Caruso extra creamy and rich.
How To Make Chicken Caruso
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In a saucepan, cook the macaroni in chicken broth, but do not drain.
- Fry the bacon, green pepper, and onions in a large skillet. Drain any excess fat.
- Stir the macaroni and broth mixture into the skillet and add the remaining ingredients.
- Heat it through, then serve!
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Chicken Caruso
- Finding Pimentos: Sometimes, pimentos are difficult to track down! I had this problem too. If you can’t find any in your local grocery store, no worries! Regular red bell peppers work just fine, but any sweet pepper that isn’t too spicy is an easy substitute.
- Choose the Right Pasta: Stick with smaller pasta shapes if you decide to substitute! Large pasta can overwhelm the other ingredients, and the flavors of the caruso might get lost.
- Cooking Sherry Substitute: If you don’t have cooking sherry on hand, try a splash of dry white or red wine, use chicken broth with a splash of wine vinegar, or try a small touch of apple cider vinegar.
Storage Instructions
Whether you’re prepping ahead or keeping leftovers, this Chicken Caruso stores beautifully and tastes just as delicious later on!
Refrigerator: Let the dish cool completely, then cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 3–4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm the whole dish in the oven until hot!
Freezer: Once cooled, transfer to a freezer-safe container or wrap tightly in foil. Freeze for up to 3 months, according to USDA food safety guidelines. Reheat from frozen in the oven, or thaw overnight in the fridge for quicker reheating!
More Delicious Pasta Recipes
If you love hearty Pasta and Rice meals, try out these reader favorites next:
- Dill Pickle Chickpea Orzo Salad is tangy, fresh, and loaded with protein-packed chickpeas and zesty pickles.
- Mom’s Easy Cottage Cheese Lasagna layers tender noodles with creamy cottage cheese and savory sauce for a simple, cozy dinner.
- My Old-Fashioned Tomato Mac and Cheese is creamy, cheesy, and full of rich tomato goodness!
That’s it, folks! Chicken Caruso might look like a mix of everything in your fridge, but it comes together into such a tasty, comforting meal. This was a new one for me, and I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was!
Make yourself a plate, enjoy every bite, and share how it turned out in the comments below. I always love seeing how you make these dishes your own!
Happy Cooking!
Karlynn
Chicken Caruso
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup elbow macaroni or corkscrew pasta, (uncooked)
- 2 slices bacon
- 1/4 cup green pepper, (finely chopped)
- 1/3 cup onion, (finely chopped)
- 2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, (chopped)
- 2 cups old cheddar cheese, (grated)
- 1/4 cup pimiento
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 1 cup peas, (frozen)
- 3 tablespoons cooking sherry
Instructions
- In a saucepan bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook for 10 minutes until tender. Do not drain
- In a large skillet fry the diced bacon until crisp. Add the green pepper and the onion and cook until the onion is tender. Drain off any excess fat.
- Stir in the macaroni – broth mixture and the remaining ingredients. Heat it through, then serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Ann says
Delish! I didn’t have almonds, but…Yum!
Darby Jo Karwat says
This recipe is so good that I couldn’t STOP myself from eating it! So delicious, thank you!
Karlynn Johnston says
I’m so glad that you liked it!
Olive Cribar says
Chicken Caruso. Is this supposed to be a side dish? I cup of pasta does not seem very much for 6 servings
Karlynn Johnston says
It is meant as something that should go a the side salad, if you look those six servings are still 500 Calories each. So if you divided into four for the average family, it is still going to be a high calorie Dish that should be paired with a salad.