There’s nothing quite as comforting as a big dish of cheesy pasta and when I have a hankering for it, this Chicken Alfredo Bake delivers.
Tender chunks of chicken are nestled on top of perfectly al dente pasta. Then, it’s all smothered in a rich sauce made with 3 different cheeses, including cream cheese which helps give it a velvety texture (just like in our popular parmesan garlic linguine).
The rich creaminess of this dish is the real draw, but the bonus is that it’s so ridiculously easy. But no one has to know that — it’ll be our secret!
What Makes This Cheesy Chicken Bake the Best
There are plenty of recipes for chicken Alfredo out there, so why make this version?
- Hands-off. There’s very little prep time involved with this recipe. All you need to do is quickly whip up the sauce while you cook your pasta. Then, combine everything and let your oven do the work.
- So cheesy. We take traditional Alfredo, with all of its parmesan-flavored goodness, to the next level with loads of ooey-gooey mozzarella. Plus, the sauce is thickened with tangy cream cheese, too.
- Ready in a flash. Since the recipe uses cooked chicken, it doesn’t take much time at all to transform into cheesy deliciousness in the oven.
Ingredients
You can easily find all of these ingredients at your local grocery store if you don’t already have them on hand.
- Unsalted Butter – Butter helps to create the roux that is the base of the creamy sauce.
- Fresh Garlic – Mince or grate the garlic into pieces that are uniform so that it is easy to evenly disperse them in the sauce.
- All-Purpose Flour – Combined with the butter, the flour makes the sauce rich and smooth.
- Cream Cheese – Cream cheese also thickens the sauce and gives it a touch of tanginess.
- Whole Milk – Using whole milk, instead of a lower-fat version, helps to give the sauce its velvety texture.
- Heavy Cream – Heavy cream also contributes to the sauce’s luxe consistency.
- Parmesan Cheese (Divided) – Alfredo gets its signature flavor from this nutty cheese.
- Mozzarella Cheese (Divided) – Shredded mozzarella gives the dish its irresistible cheese pull.
- Onion Powder – Onion powder gives the sauce its subtle onion flavor.
- Coarse Kosher Salt – Just a bit of salt brings out the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Ground White Pepper – I like to use white pepper so that it isn’t visible in the sauce but if you don’t mind the darker flecks, you can use black pepper instead.
- Penne or Rigatoni Pasta – Cooking the penne or rigatoni pasta al dente helps it to maintain a slight firmness so it doesn’t get mushy when it’s baked.
- Cooked Chicken (Diced or Shredded) – This is a great way to use up any leftover skinless chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or rotisserie chicken!
- Fresh Parsley (Optional for Garnish) – Add parsley for a pop of color and a little herbaceous flavor.
How to Make Chicken Alfredo Bake
This easy bake is a breeze to make!
- Make roux. Add the butter and garlic to a large skillet and sauté briefly. To make the roux, pour the flour into the pan and whisk until the mixture becomes pasty.
- Add cream cheese. Stir the cream cheese into the mixture.
- Add remaining sauce ingredients. Once the cream cheese begins to melt, mix in the milk, cream, onion powder, salt, white pepper, and portions of the parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
- Remove sauce from stove. When the cream cheese has fully melted, all of the ingredients are completely combined, and no lumps remain, remove the pan from the stove.
- Add pasta and chicken to dish. Add the pasta to a prepared baking dish before placing the cooked chicken on top of it.
- Pour sauce over chicken. Then, transfer the sauce to the baking dish, coating all of the chicken and pasta.
- Bake. Place the dish in a preheated oven and bake.
- Top with shredded cheese. Shortly before the end of the cooking time, sprinkle the casserole with the reserved parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
- Allow to rest. Once the cheese has melted, remove the dish from the oven and let it rest briefly.
What to Serve With Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
Since it already has plenty of pasta and protein, I love to round out a meal by pairing it with veggies like broccolini, seasoned peas and pearl onions, or roasted asparagus. A simple side salad or a beet goat cheese salad goes well with it, too.
And if you’re looking for something to sop up all of that creamy sauce on your plate, try baking up one of my easy and quick bread recipes. For a decadent treat, try individual garlic cheese crack bread, or for a hearty and fragrant bread try thick and fluffy rosemary focaccia. Or, stick with a classic and serve simple but hearty garlic bread.
Variations
We happen to think that this chicken Alfredo bake is perfection in a pan! But if you want to tweak it a bit we have a few ideas for inspiration.
- Vegetables – Sneak some extra nutrients in by adding mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, or sun-dried tomatoes.
- Meat – Swap out the chicken for cooked pork or use seafood like shrimp instead.
- Herbs – Add herbs like fresh basil or thyme.
- Pasta – Switch up the pasta shape and use another variety like cavatappi
- Pesto – Stir a few dollops of pesto into the sauce before adding it to the dish.
- Heat – Sprinkle in some crushed red pepper to add a little spicy kick to the sauce.
- Bacon – Add diced, cooked bacon to the sauce for some smoky flavor.
Storage and Freezing
You can easily refrigerate or freeze leftovers and microwave it when you’re ready to reheat.
You can make any of the different parts of the dish ahead of time and just combine them when you’re ready to bake the casserole.
How to Store Chicken Alfredo Bake
This alfredo bake can be covered in its original dish with aluminum foil or plastic wrap or transferred to an airtight container. Then, refrigerate it for 3-4 days.
Can I Freeze Chicken Alfredo Bake?
This is a freezer-friendly casserole, but be mindful that anything with cream and cheese can have a different texture when thawed, even fresh alfredo sauce. If you do want to freeze it, simply place it in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Common Questions About Chicken Alfredo Bake
Alfredo refers to the rich cream sauce used in the dish while fettuccine refers the the noodles used. The latter dish can be made with any number of different sauces.
Chicken Alfredo sauce can be thickened in a number of ways. In this recipe, we use both a roux and cream cheese. You can also thicken the sauce by adding extra parmesan cheese.
To make a jarred Alfredo sauce taste closer to a homemade version, try dressing it up with a bit of oregano, white pepper, or fresh parmesan cheese.
More Easy Chicken Dishes
Chicken dinners don’t have to be boring! Here are a few of our favorites that we know you’ll love too.
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Chicken Piccata Meatballs
Peri Peri Chicken
Chicken Alfredo Bake
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2-3 cloves fresh garlic , minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup parmesan cheese , freshly grated and divided
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese. shredded and divided
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 12 ounces penne or rigatoni pasta , cooked al dente according to package directions
- 3 cups cooked chicken , diced or shredded
- freshly parsley , optional for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat a 9×13 or 3 quart casserole dish with cooking spray or vegetable shortening. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the garlic, softening for 1 minute, but stirring to prevent browning.
- Whisk in the flour to form a paste. Whisk in the cream cheese, allowing it to start melting, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Continue whisking and add the milk, cream, 3/4 cup of the parmesan cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, onion powder, salt and white pepper until the sauce is fully blending and no large pieces of cream cheese remain. It will be thick. Remove from the heat.
- Place the pasta into the prepared baking dish, top it with the cooked chicken. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and chicken, trying your best to cover all the pieces and using a fork or spoon to move it around to make sure it all gets covered.
- Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Remove and top with the remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Continue to bake for 5-7 minutes or until cheese are melted and gooey.
- Remove and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving. Top with parsley, if desired.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Nutrition
Obsessed with chicken alfredo, but I’ve never tried it baked! I can’t wait to see how this tastes, it looks soooo tasty!
This Chicken Alfredo Bake recipe looks so delicious and creamy, we love pasta Alfredo in the family, and will make it soon for dinner. Thanks for sharing 🙂
I love Alfredo and your Chicken Alfredo Bake makes it easy enough for weeknight dinners! Excellent flavor and the whole family loves it, thank you!
Love this creamy chicken alfredo bake. Pinned to try your recipe.
Wow another recipe that I will be adding on my list! Simple yet very delicious, thanks for sharing