Chicken Pasta Crinkle Cake (Printable)

A savory fusion dish with crispy phyllo, shredded chicken, ditalini pasta, and creamy cheeses baked to golden perfection.

# What You'll Need:

→ Filling

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
02 - 1 cup cooked ditalini pasta (from approximately ⅓ cup uncooked)
03 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
04 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
05 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
07 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
08 - ½ teaspoon dried oregano
09 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Phyllo Layers

10 - 1 package (16 sheets) phyllo dough, thawed
11 - ½ cup unsalted butter, melted

→ Custard

12 - 3 large eggs
13 - 1 cup whole milk
14 - ½ cup heavy cream
15 - ½ teaspoon salt
16 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - In a large bowl, mix shredded chicken, cooked ditalini, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, parsley, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper until well blended.
03 - Unroll phyllo dough; keep covered with a damp towel to prevent drying. Lay one sheet on a clean surface, brush lightly with melted butter, then scrunch accordion-style into loose folds.
04 - Place the scrunched phyllo into the prepared baking dish. Repeat the buttering and scrunching for 7 more sheets, arranging them side by side to cover the bottom evenly.
05 - Spoon the chicken and pasta filling evenly over the phyllo base layer.
06 - Repeat the scrunching and buttering process with the remaining 8 phyllo sheets; place them atop the filling to cover completely and brush the top generously with remaining melted butter.
07 - Whisk together eggs, milk, cream, salt, and pepper in a bowl; pour evenly over the assembled layers, allowing the custard to soak through.
08 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is golden brown and crisp. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
09 - Serve warm, optionally garnished with additional fresh parsley.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It looks restaurant-worthy but comes together with ingredients most people already have on hand.
  • The contrast between crispy phyllo and creamy, cheesy filling feels indulgent without requiring hours of work.
  • One dish feeds a crowd and handles being made ahead better than you'd expect.
02 -
  • Phyllo dries out in seconds, so keep that damp towel nearby and work quickly; the crinkle-scrunching looks random, but it's actually protecting the dough from drying while creating texture.
  • The custard is what transforms this from dry and crispy into something moist and tender, so don't skip it or rush pouring it—it's the secret to making everything cohere.
03 -
  • Rotisserie chicken saves time without sacrificing flavor, and its slight char actually deepens the dish.
  • Let the eggs come close to room temperature before whisking and pouring so the custard integrates smoothly instead of creating pockets of uncooked egg.
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