Chicken Pasta Crinkle Cake (Printable)

A layered dish with crispy phyllo, shredded chicken, ditalini pasta, and creamy cheese sauce.

# What You'll Need:

→ Filling

01 - 2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
02 - 1 cup cooked ditalini pasta (from approx. ⅓ cup dry)
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

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and 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 black pepper until well incorporated.
03 - Unroll phyllo dough and cover with a damp towel. Working quickly, brush one sheet lightly with melted butter, scrunch accordion-style into loose folds, and place into baking dish. Repeat with 7 more sheets side by side to cover the bottom evenly.
04 - Evenly spread the chicken and pasta mixture over the phyllo base layers in the dish.
05 - Scrunch and butter remaining 8 phyllo sheets as before, layering them over the filling to cover completely. Brush with any leftover melted butter.
06 - Whisk eggs, milk, heavy cream, salt, and pepper together, then pour evenly over the phyllo, allowing it to soak through the layers.
07 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden and crisp on top. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.
08 - Serve warm, garnished with additional fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks restaurant-worthy but requires no fussy skills, just quick hands and good butter.
  • The phyllo gets impossibly crispy while staying tender inside, holding onto that savory custard like a secret.
  • People always ask for the recipe, which never gets old.
02 -
  • Thawed phyllo is non-negotiable; frozen phyllo will shatter and ruin the texture, and you'll be frustrated.
  • Pouring the custard over cold phyllo might cause some sheets to float; this is fine and actually normal, they'll set as it bakes.
  • Don't overbake or the phyllo becomes too dark and bitter; trust the 35-to-40-minute window and watch it in the last few minutes.
03 -
  • Use a pastry brush to butter each phyllo sheet, not your hands; your hands will warm the phyllo and make it stick together frustratingly.
  • If phyllo tears while you're working, don't panic—overlap it with another sheet, butter it, and keep going; the overlap becomes a crispy layered surprise when baked.
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