This chicken Alfredo bake is penne pasta tossed with cooked chicken and a creamy sauce, then topped with cheese and baked to perfection. A comfort food classic that’s perfect for feeding a crowd!
My family enjoys a good hearty pasta dish such as chicken parmesan pasta, seafood pasta, and this ultra creamy and decadent chicken alfredo. No one can resist all that gooey melted cheese!
Fettuccine Alfredo is a a classic dish for good reason – everyone adores that combination of tender noodles in a creamy sauce! This chicken Alfredo bake is a hearty dinner option that is sure to impress your family and friends.
How do you make chicken alfredo bake?
This recipe starts with a homemade cream sauce, which can be made in minutes with a little butter, flour, milk, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, and heavy cream. I typically make my sauce while I’m waiting for the pasta to cook. After the pasta and sauce are ready, they’re tossed together with cooked cubed chicken, then everything goes into a baking dish. The finishing touch is a generous amount of shredded cheese. Bake your pasta dish until the cheese is melted and browned, then add a sprinkling of parsley and enjoy!
Tips for chicken alfredo bake
- You can use any kind of cooked chicken. This recipe works great with roasted chicken, shredded chicken made in the slow cooker, or even with a store bought rotisserie chicken.
- Feel free to use your favorite short pasta such as rigatoni, fusilli or farfalle.
- This recipe works best with freshly grated cheese. Pre-shredded cheese is often coated with anti-caking agents and will not melt as smoothly as if you grate the cheese yourself.
- The Alfredo sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance. If you’re short on time, you can also use a high quality refrigerated Alfredo pasta sauce from the grocery store.
Chicken alfredo variations
This chicken Alfredo bake is a real crowd pleaser as-is, but you can also add other flavors to suit your taste.
- Shrimp: Try adding 3/4 cup cooked shrimp, or you can replace all of the chicken with shrimp for a seafood version of this dish.
- Vegetables: You can add vegetables like spinach, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, or fresh diced tomatoes.
- Cheese: For a different flavor, try using some pecorino romano or asiago cheese instead of the parmesan.
- Meat: The salty and savory flavors of bacon and prosciutto are excellent in this Alfredo bake.
- Herbs: You can use other herbs instead of parsley such as chives, thyme or fresh basil.
- Stuffed Pasta: Try using cheese ravioli or tortellini instead of penne for an extra dose of cheesy flavor.
Can you make baked pasta in advance?
This pasta bake can be made in advance and refrigerated. 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 45 minutes to reheat it in the oven.
This chicken Alfredo bake takes a classic dish and turns it into a cheesy masterpiece that is sure to delight. There is nothing like delicious, creamy Alfredo covered in bubbly cheese straight out of the oven!
More great pasta recipes
Chicken Alfredo Bake
Ingredients
- 12 ounces penne pasta cooked in salted water according to package directions
- 3 cups diced cooked chicken
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided use
- salt and pepper to taste
- cooking spray
- 1 tablespoon parsley chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 3 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
- Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in the milk and cream, then simmer, whisking constantly, until sauce has just thickened.
- Add the parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella to the milk mixture, along with salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir until cheese has melted.
- Place the pasta and chicken in a large bowl. Pour the sauce over the top, and toss to coat evenly.
- Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared pan, and top with remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until pasta is bubbly and cheese has just started to brown.
- Sprinkle parsley over the top, then serve.
Yenny says
This recipe is awesome!! I’ve seen many recipes with cream cheese and they’re just so thick and heavy. This was the perfect amount of sauce and it was soooo tasty! I listened to some of the other reviewers and added cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, and frozen broccoli. My family couldn’t stop complimenting how delicious it was. Thank you!
Crissy says
I made this last week and my son is asking me to make it again. Great recipe!
Fern says
I made this today using only 9 oz of pasta as I like things to be extra saucy and cheesy. I also added just to sprinkle of cayenne pepper for just a bit of spice. This was a good dish.
Jenna says
Made this last night. Added a bag of frozen broccoli so I could be healthy lol and topped it off with some bacon. And let me tell ya I was made gf of the year last night. He would not stop raving about and wanted thirds but I said no. Def making this again!!
S Jones says
Delicious! The whole family enjoyed it! We made the 8 serving size and followed recipe exactly. I used a rotisserie from Sam’s and broiled the top a little at end of baking time. Love that it can be made ahead or frozen. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Shandra says
Would this freeze well? Looking for some make ahead meals I can pop in the freezer and Alfredo is one of my husbands favorites!
Sara says
I believe it should be fine in the freezer but I haven’t tried it myself!
Laura says
Delicious! I’ve made this several times now. For years I’ve searched high and low for the perfect (to me) Chicken Alfredo recipe. This is the best one I’ve found and I’m sticking with it. Thank you!
Rachel says
What chicken do you use in this recipe? Do you pan fry chicken breasts and dice them or what is your go to??
Sara says
Yes that’s exactly what I do!
Steph says
This is a family favorite. I use fat free half and half and low fat mozzarella to make it healthier. So delicious!!! Thank you for the recipe.
Suzanne says
Do you use the half and half in place of the heavy cream? Same amount? Or modified amount?
Amanda s says
I only have half and half think that will work ?
Sara says
Yes that should work!
Amanda says
I added more garlic, italian seasoning, and salt. A bit on the bland side, but still get than premade sauce. The family loved it.
Ann Orgel says
I made this exactly as written, and it was amazing! SO very good, I’ll be making it again very soon! Its our new favorite pasta recipe!
kp says
Delicious and so easy! Added broccoli. Had a cheese mix of Parmesan/Asiago and Romano in hand and it was great. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I agree that it would be a great meal to take to someone.
Cathy Coffin says
Even my finikies loved this one!!!!
Diana DeOchoa says
This recipe was so good. My husband and son loved it!!! Thank you:)
ECS says
Thank you for sharing this and all recipes! I made it exactly to direction and only deviated by adding cayenne powder to the sauce as I tend to do with most sauces! Your recipe was perfection.
Renee says
This was the best chicken Alfredo I’ve made! Super easy to put together, & I think it was the mozzarella that really put it over the top. I used fettuccine noodles, bc it’s what I had on hand, & it cooked beautifully.
Nancy says
Can I freeze this recipe. Im taking it on vacation.
Sara says
Yes that’s fine!
Andrea says
By “minced garlic”, do you mean dried or fresh?
Sara says
Fresh garlic!
Tam Tam says
OH! MY! GOODNESS!!!! This is the best recipe ever!!!
I had some left over grilled chicken that I Didn’t want to waste, so I Googled some recipes. I am so happy I found this recipe! My husband ate three huge helpings and even my picky son had seconds. I made it as written , but added some garlic powder and Italian seasoning. (We like garlic) Thank you for sharing this recipe. It is now in rotation at our house. It would also be super easy for a pot luck!
Jen says
Hi which brand cheese did you use? I don’t know if I should buy a pre-shredded/grated brand or a chunk of Parmesan, which is a bit expensive.
Sara says
I typically use a chunk of parmesan, but if you use pre-grated get a tub from the deli section, don’t use the shelf stable kind!