Chicken Alfredo Bake is a creamy, cheesy dish loaded with pasta and rotisserie chicken that will be a family favorite! It’s a rich and comforting main course that will have everyone returning for more! And I love that it comes together quickly. If you love Alfredo recipes, be sure to also try my Tuscan Chicken Pasta!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Pasta: Penne pasta is a popular choice for pasta dishes with sauces. It’s a tubular pasta that holds up well to the thick, creamy sauce. However, you could use pasta you have on hand or make your own homemade-shaped pasta! Be sure to reserve a cup of pasta water when draining the noodles.
Sauce: The base alfredo sauce in this recipe has added mozzarella cheese, onion powder, salt, and pepper. This adds flavor to the overall dish. And it makes the sauce extra creamy and cheesy! To save time, you could get the sauce made ahead of time. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Milk: For the creamiest sauce, use whole milk. You can substitute lower-fat milk, but the sauce may have a thinner consistency.
Chicken: Rotisserie chicken works perfectly in this recipe. It is already cooked and ready to add to the dish. Sometimes you can even find it already shredded at your local grocery store. You could also use leftover shredded chicken.
Why Reserve Pasta Water
Reserving pasta water for recipes like this chicken alfredo bake, as well as my Tomato Basil Pasta, Vodka Sauce, Spicy Gnocchi Bread Bowl, and Asiago Pasta is important. The pasta water adds flavor and helps bind the sauce and noodles together, ensuring a full-flavored taste in every bite! However, you do not necessarily need to add pasta water if the consistency of the sauce is to your preference.
Can I Make Chicken Alfredo Bake Ahead Of Time
Yes! You can get the pasta bake assembled ahead of time. Then, cover it and store it in the refrigerator for up to two days. When ready to bake, add a few more minutes to the baking time.
How To Store Chicken Alfredo Bake
If you have any leftover chicken alfredo bake, store it in an airtight container. It will last in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat the bake in the oven or microwave.
Chicken Alfredo Bake
Ingredients
- 16 ounces penne pasta
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (490 g) whole milk
- 1 cup (238 g) heavy cream
- 1 cup (100 g) parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 cups (226 g) mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded, diced
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, finely chopped for garnish
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain the rest. Set the noodles and reserved pasta water aside.
- In a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the all-purpose flour to the skillet and whisk it together with the butter, cooking for 1 more minute.
- Slowly drizzle in the milk and heavy cream, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Add the parmesan cheese, ½ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. Continue to stir until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Add the rotisserie chicken and cooked pasta. Stir to combine everything evenly with the sauce. If your sauce is too thick, add some reserved pasta water, stirring to combine.
- Sprinkle the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese over the top of the dish.
- Bake, uncovered, for approximately 20 minutes or until cooked through and lightly browned.
- Garnish with finely chopped fresh parsley and serve.
Video
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
This is a perfect weeknight meal, warm and filling and easy to make! A family pleaser for sure!
Elizabeth
This is a rich and creamy dish that would be a great idea to serve at a family dinner. I thought it was a little rich for me, but I am not an Alfredo fan. Although, as I am writing this, I do recall going back for seconds. So, I guess I liked it more than I thought!
Bella
You can't go wrong with a pasta bake! Savory, rich, and creamy. It's difficult to have just one plate of this pasta!
Rachael
This was so yummy! Creamy cheesy pasta with chicken is a crowd-pleaser for sure. I love that it was all done in one pot, one-pot meals are a lifesaver.
Selena
What a yummy, easy dish to throw together for the family! I loved the creamy sauce and the ease of using a rotisserie chicken.
My family loved this! I added a bag of frozen broccoli florets(steam in bag) that I cooked for about 3 minutes into the dish to make it a complete meal instead of serving the veg on the side…saves a pan too! My family has loved all your recipes we’ve tried so far!
Everyone loved this! My husband thought it was the best thing I ever made. Things I did a little differently than the recipe: I didn’t roast the garlic, I just sauteed it in the butter before making the roux and I used whole milk instead of cream. This made a huge amount, everyone had their fill and plenty for leftovers for lunch the next day or to freeze.
IV made this twice now and we love it thank you for a great easy yummy recipe
I made this recipe chicken alfredo bake. I used what ingredients I had at home, sour cream instead of cream, gluten free penne pasta. I did not add the chicken to the bake instead I slow cooked shrimp in butter and garlic and added the shrimp on the bake on my plate. What I liked about this recipe was the delicious flavor of the pasta sauce and the ease to put it together. Quick and easy and delicious tasting. Thanks for the recipe.