This Chicken Alfredo Bake is pure comfort food! Penne pasta in a rich and creamy sauce is mixed with succulent chicken breast, then topped with cheese, then baked to perfection. It’s a hearty and delicious dish, perfect for feeding a hungry crowd.
Chicken casseroles are a classic comfort food and the creamier the better, in my opinion! This easy cheesy Chicken Alfredo Bake is super hearty main, packed with flavor, rich and creamy. It’s made with a handful of simple ingredients but delivers on deliciousness, perfect for hectic weeknights.
Why this is so good
- A divine garlic cream sauce.
- Easy to make with basic ingredients, but packed with flavor.
- Throw in your favorite veggies.
- A perfectly crispy, melty cheese topping
Ingredients
- Chicken breast – boneless and skinless. Ideally go for organic/free range.
- Cheese – mozzarella and Parmesan. You can go for other cheese blends like jack and cheddar.
- Broccoli – go for frozen broccoli.
- Heavy Cream
- Flour – All purpose flour id best. No need to sift it.
- Garlic – minced.
- Milk – whole milk makes the sauce extra creamy, but you can use 2%.
- Butter – salted.
How to make this Chicken Alfredo Bake
Be sure to scroll to the bottom for the full recipe
In a large skillet with oil, cook the cubed chicken, then mix the chicken in a bowl with the pasta.
In the skillet, cook the garlic with butter and flour, whisk. Then pour in the cream, continue stirring, and add the cheeses. Cook until all melted into a lovely sauce.
Add frozen broccoli into the bowl with the chicken and the pasta. Then add the cheese sauce to the bowl and mix.
Pour everything into a baking dish and top with mozzarella. Bake for 25 mins.
Enjoy!
Can I make this Chicken Alfredo Bake ahead of time?
Yes! This Chicken Alfredo Bake can be made in advance and refrigerated. Perfect for make ahead weeknight meals. It will be good up to three days in the refrigerator.
To reheat it simply cover the pasta in aluminum foil and bake it at 350 degrees F until the pasta reaches 165 degrees F. It will take about 30-40 minutes to reheat it in the oven.
Variations
This Chicken Alfredo Bake is really versatile and you can swap in various ingredients.
You can add vegetables like spinach, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, or fresh diced tomatoes.
For a different flavor, try using some pecorino romano or asiago cheese instead of the Parmesan.
Try using cheese ravioli or tortellini instead of penne for an extra dose of cheesy flavor.
Can I freeze this Alfredo Chicken Bake?
Yes indeed! To freeze this Chicken Alfredo Bake, prepare completely, then wrap tightly (I like to do plastic wrap then tin foil to prevent freezer burn, but you do you) and freeze flat on a shelf.
To bake, you can either place in the refrigerator overnight to thaw (this is going to give you the best results as the pasta won’t become as mushy since it doesn’t have to cook as long to reheat), then remove the plastic wrap and recover with foil to bake.
You can place the pan from the freezer into the oven while it is preheating, and add 20-30 minutes to the bake time (approximately — cook until heated). I always recommend baking with foil or covering of some sort to prevent drying out.
Top Tips
- Don’t overcook pasta. The pasta is going to continue cooking in the oven so it’s important to not overcook it initially.
- Thin sauce if needed. Alfredo Sauce can become too thick if its simmered at too high of heat or for too long. Simply stir in a little milk until it reaches desired consistency.
- Prevent pasta from clumping. If you’re not using the cooked pasta right away, toss it with a little olive oil. This will prevent it from sticking together.
Save time!
You can use rotisserie chicken. If you want to save more time, then grab some rotisseries chicken.
Check out these other delicious pasta dishes
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
- Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Soup
- Chicken Tortellini Soup
- White Chicken Lasagna
- Creamy Chicken Spaghetti
Have you tried this Chicken Alfredo Bake? Feel free to leave a star rating and I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Chicken Alfredo Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 ounces penne pasta cooked according to package instructions
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 10 ounces frozen broccoli
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Add the cooked pasta to a large mixing bowl.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and allow to get hot.
- Add the cubed chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir chicken until just cooked through and browned on both sides. Remove chicken from heat and place in the mixing bowl with the pasta.
- Return the skillet to medium heat.
- Add the butter and allow to melt.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Use a whisk to stir in the flour, making sure to fully incorporate. Cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in the cream and milk, stirring to incorporate into the flour. Whisk constantly. Once bubbling, reduce heat to a simmer. Allow to just thicken, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the parmesan cheese and 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Stir to combine. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Stir/whisk until cheese has melted.
- Add the frozen broccoli to the mixing bowl with the chicken and cooked pasta.
- Pour the cheese sauce into the mixing bowl and use a wooden spoon to mix everything together.
- Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Enjoy!
Lisa says
I love all your recipes, but it’s really hard to read them when there is a video playing right over it and it’s not even the recipe I’m looking at. It’s frustrating ALL the ads the cover everything
Becky Hardin says
I’m sorry, Lisa! I’ll work on improving that!
Amber says
I am looking to make this but was wondering if u could use any pasta?
Becky Hardin says
Penne is the easiest, but you can switch it up.
Leanne says
I made this recipe for my daughter’s birthday this what she wanted for her dinner for her birthday and I’m telling you it is fantastic it is on point the sauce is fabulous I would require this recipe to anybody.
Rose says
Great comfort food so appropriate for this time of spending dinners with family
Becky Hardin says
I’m glad I could help out with family time!! 🙂
Laura simpson says
Can u use light cream or something lighter to.reduce calories?
Stephanie says
I’ve made this many times and we love it!! I’m preparing it for a family to take over tomorrow. What instructions for cooking after being refrigerated overnight would you recommend?
Becky Hardin says
To reheat it simply cover the pasta in aluminum foil and bake it at 350 degrees F until the pasta reaches 165 degrees F. It will take about 30-40 minutes to reheat it in the oven!
Allyson says
Can I make the night before and keep in the refrigerator ?
Jen says
Hi. Is the measurement of the pasta pre cooking it so 12oz dry?
Becky Hardin says
Dry!
Barbara Stewart says
I tried this recipe and it was great. I used spinach, mushrooms and onions. It was so delicious and went so quick I had to make it again the following week. I like that the sauce is easy to make not like my other recipe which takes much more time, not to mention more butter (hate those added calories).
Becky Hardin says
Thanks for sharing, Barbara!
Joy says
Easy to make and loved the rich sauce. I just wanted to have a stronger flavor. Could i have added a teaspoon cajun flavor? Ididnt want to over salt it just for flavor. Was the cheese supposed to be measured in a cup or in ounces on the side of the bag.
Becky Hardin says
Modify to your liking!