Chicken Pasta Crinkle Cake (Print)

Crispy phyllo layered with tender chicken, ditalini pasta, and creamy cheese custard for a unique bake.

# Components:

→ Filling

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
02 - 1 cup cooked ditalini pasta (about 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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the 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 pasta, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, parsley, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper until well combined.
03 - Unroll phyllo dough and cover with a damp towel to prevent drying. Lay one sheet on a flat surface and brush lightly with melted butter, then scrunch accordion-style into loose folds.
04 - Place scrunched phyllo sheets side by side in the prepared baking dish until covering the bottom with 8 sheets.
05 - Spread the chicken and pasta filling evenly over the phyllo base.
06 - Repeat scrunching and buttering with remaining 8 phyllo sheets, placing them over the filling to cover completely. Brush the top with remaining melted butter.
07 - Whisk together eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Pour the custard evenly over the assembled layers to soak through the phyllo.
08 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is golden brown and crisp. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.
09 - Serve warm, garnished with additional fresh parsley if desired.

# Chef Secrets:

01 -
  • It looks impossibly elegant on the plate, but the phyllo does most of the work for you.
  • That first bite where the crispy, buttery crinkles meet the warm, cheesy filling inside is genuinely magical.
  • It feeds a crowd without requiring you to stand over a stove, which means you actually get to enjoy your guests.
02 -
  • Keep that phyllo covered the entire time you're working with it, or it will dry out and become impossible to scrunch without cracking—I learned this lesson by ruining three sheets before I finally paid attention.
  • The custard is not optional and it's not just decoration; it's what transforms this from a casserole into something special, so don't skip pouring it over the top.
  • Your oven temperature matters more than you think here—too cool and the phyllo won't crisp up, too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks through.
03 -
  • Brush your phyllo sheets so lightly that you barely think you've brushed them—you're not trying to coat them, just kiss each one with butter so they stay pliable while staying crispy in the oven.
  • The custard works better if you whisk it for a full minute until it's completely smooth and homogeneous, because lumpy eggs never cooked evenly and that's a baked good cardinal sin.
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