This Chicken Alfredo Bake is the ultimate, crowd-pleasing casserole! This creamy and indulgent pasta bake will become one of your favorite dishes to prepare, too, because it’s super easy to make ahead and then assemble just before baking. Not to mention, it’s so cheesy and delicious that everyone will ask for seconds! (That’s right, no leftovers in sight!)
What is a chicken alfredo bake?
This Baked Chicken Alfredo is a fun spin on one of our most popular dinner recipes: Chicken Alfredo. We take the stovetop version of this dish to the next level by sending it on a trip to the oven…blanketed with seasoned breadcrumbs and tons of shredded cheese! (Because what could be better?!)
Ingredients & substitutions
- Chicken: We used boneless, skinless chicken breasts in this recipe, but you could also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 2 cups of rotisserie chicken.
- Alfredo Sauce: We made a double batch of our Homemade Alfredo Sauce (what we call an “Ameri-fredo sauce”) in the same skillet we used to cook the chicken. It can also be substituted with around 3 cups (or 24 oz.) of store-bought alfredo sauce. (But I promise, ours is better!)
- Pasta: We used rotini in our pasta bake because it grabs onto that creamy sauce oh-so-well! Any medium-sized pasta like fusilli, penne, macaroni, or rigatoni works, too.
- Frozen Vegetables: We added some frozen broccoli because the dish needed something fresh to balance out all the other rich ingredients. If you don’t like broccoli, try frozen peas, or a frozen vegetable mix (like ones with diced carrots, peas, and corn).
- Buttered Breadcrumbs: Making buttery, seasoned breadcrumbs from scratch with panko will ensure the topping is as crispy and delicious as possible. Seasoning them yourself also gives you full control over the flavor. But they could be replaced with store-bought, seasoned Italian breadcrumbs or fresh breadcrumbs if desired.
MAKE AHEAD & AVOID LEFTOVERS
This is one of the dreamiest recipes of all time…but it isn’t quite as creamy and dreamy once reheated. For that reason, we suggest making a half batch instead of planning on a lot of leftovers. On the other hand, since every individual element of this recipe can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to 4 days, you could still make up the whole recipe and just bake it up at different times! Here’s how to prepare this pasta bake ahead of time:
- Mix up the prepared chicken, cooked pasta, and thawed broccoli. Split the mixture into smaller portions. Store each serving in a glass container separately from the alfredo sauce. (If you want to mix the sauce in ahead of time, I guess you could — but it may soak into the cooked pasta over time.)
- When you’re ready to bake up a serving, let it sit a room temperature for a few minutes (to slightly warm the glass dish), mix in the alfredo sauce, and top with cheese and breadcrumbs.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the center of the pasta bake reaches an internal temperature of 165℉, and the toppings achieve the same visual cues in the recipe).
I swear, y’all….this recipe is SUPER EASY to throw together. (Despite the long ingredient list and the number of steps!) It’s also a great blueprint for making just about any pasta bake you can dream up!
Chicken Alfredo Bake
Servings 6 1 cup eachIngredients
Parmesan Chicken:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/3 lbs. total) ($3.89)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided ($0.26)
- 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese ($0.08)
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.01)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper ($0.01)
- 3 Tbsp water ($0.00)
Buttered Breadcrumbs:
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.30)
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs ($0.35)
- 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.01)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper ($0.01)
Alfredo Sauce/Pasta Bake:
- 4 Tbsp butter ($0.60)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced ($0.30)
- 2 cups heavy cream ($2.00)
- 2 cups Italian shredded cheese blend, divided ($2.49)
- 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.01)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper ($0.01)
- 8 oz. rotini, uncooked ($0.66)
- 10 oz. frozen broccoli florets ($1.49)
Instructions
Parmesan Chicken:
- Cut the chicken breasts into 1” chunks. Coat the chicken with 1 tablespoons of oil and season it with the grated Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sear the chicken until the bottom of each piece is brown and the sides start to turn white (about 5 minutes).
- Add 3 tablespoons of water to the pan, releasing the chicken pieces from the bottom of the skillet, and flip each one. Continue cooking until the chicken is evenly browned on all sides and fully cooked in the center (about 5 minutes). Remove the chicken from the skillet, leaving behind any stuck-on bits of chicken to flavor the alfredo sauce.
Buttered Breadcrumbs:
- Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has completely melted, stir in the panko breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
- Toast the breadcrumbs, stirring occasionally, until all the butter is absorbed and the breadcrumbs are toasted and golden but not brown (about 5 minutes).
- Transfer the breadcrumbs to a bowl to stop the cooking process and set them aside to cool.
Alfredo Sauce:
- Melt the butter over medium heat in the same large skillet used to cook the chicken (without wiping it out). Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant (about 2 minutes).
- Whisk in the heavy cream, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Let it come up to a boil, stirring occasionally (about 5 minutes).
- Turn the heat down to low, and add 1.5 cups of shredded cheese a handful at a time, whisking until the cheese is fully melted before adding more (about 5 minutes). The alfredo sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
Assembly:
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Thaw the frozen broccoli in a colander, breaking down any large florets into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
- At the same time, boil a large pot of water on high heat. Once the water is rapidly boiling, add the rotini and cook until it is just tender (about 7 minutes). Do not overcook the pasta, as it will soften further in the oven. Drain the pasta in a colander and set aside.
- Mix together the cooked chicken, cooked pasta, thawed broccoli, and alfredo sauce in a casserole dish. Top the casserole with ½ cup of shredded cheese and the toasted breadcrumbs.
- Bake the casserole until all the cheese is melted and the breadcrumbs are golden brown (about 25-30 minutes).
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Nutrition
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How to Make Chicken Alfredo Bake – Step by Step Photos
Cut 2 chicken breasts into 1” chunks. Combine 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Coat the chunks of chicken in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and then toss them in the seasoning mixture.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the chicken until the bottom of each piece is brown and the sides start to turn white (About 10 minutes). Add 3 tablespoons of water to release the chicken from the skillet, and flip each piece. Continue cooking the chicken until cooked through and no pink remains (About 5 minutes). Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside to cool. Also, reserve the pan (without wiping it out!) to use when cooking the alfredo sauce.
While the chicken is cooking, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has completely melted, stir in 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs, 1/4 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Toast the breadcrumbs, stirring occasionally, until all the butter is absorbed and the breadcrumbs are toasted and golden but not brown. (About 7 minutes.) Set aside to cool.
In the same large skillet used to cook the chicken (without wiping it out), melt 4 tablespoons of butter on medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute until fragrant. (About 2 minutes.) Use a metal whisk to scrape up the stuck bits of chicken and seasonings left behind in the pan as you cook the garlic, which will infuse the alfredo sauce with tons of flavor!
Whisk in 2 cups of heavy cream. Then add 1/4 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Let the cream come up to a boil, stirring occasionally. (About 5 minutes.)
Turn the heat down to low, and add 1½ cups of shredded cheese a handful at a time, whisking until the cheese is fully melted. (About 5 minutes.)
The alfredo sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
Preheat the oven to 375℉. Thaw the frozen broccoli in a colander, breaking down any large florets into bite-size pieces. At the same time, boil a large pot of water on high heat. Once the water is rapidly boiling, add the rotini and cook until it is just tender. (About 7 minutes). Do not overcook the pasta, as it will soften further in the oven. Set the cooked pasta and broccoli aside.
Mix together the cooked chicken, cooked pasta, and thawed broccoli in a casserole dish. Pour over the alfredo sauce and stir well.
Top the casserole with ½ cup of shredded Italian cheese and then sprinkle over 1/2 cup of buttered breadcrumbs.
Bake the casserole until all the cheese is melted and the breadcrumbs are golden brown (About 25-30 minutes).
I’m craving this meal again — just LOOKING at it! ~Marion :)
This turned out great and my whole family really enjoyed it. I used cauliflower instead of broccoli because that is what I had. Turned out great. Thanks,
This was SO DELICIOUS. I love that the chicken was actually seasoned and well flavored. And the bread crumbs. 🤤 It’s pretty complicated though so definitely mis en place.
My whole family loved this. Even my 8 year old asked for seconds!
It took longer than expected to get into the oven, but it was SO worth it. Delicious!!!
Tasted very good, an alternative to classic chicken alfredo with the addition of broccoli. Was a nice homey, cozy meal. However, I was not prepared for how long this recipe took to cook, and how many pans were used! Not really a big deal if you have a few hours in the kitchen, but heads up if you think this is going to be a quick weeknight meal….it is not that.
Absolutely amazing!!
I made this meal to give to another family, and it pained me to part with it – decadent flavors and rich sauce, comfort food at its best! I made it ahead, keeping the sauce separate from the broccoli/pasta mixture. Before baking, I warmed the Alfredo sauce in the microwave, at 50% power stirring every minute until it was warmed through. I kept the baking dish covered in foil for the first 20 minutes of baking and then uncovered it for the last 10 minutes. It was warm all the way through and perfect! Thanks for an awesome recipe!
My husband and I really enjoyed the recipe! Could you give instructions for freezing and reheating from frozen? I want to prep some freezer meals for postpartum.
Hi Grayson, I don’t recommend freezing this. The Alfredo sauce will separate as it thaws out, leaving you with a grainy texture.
I used rotisserie chicken to save time. Turned out great. I’d make this again.
This was fantastic & so flavorful! Left out the broccoli, as we prefer to roast it instead. Really loved the sauce.
I subbed chicken thighs because that’s what we like. I also made this in a Dutch oven so I didn’t have to dirty a casserole dish. To make it easier I cooked the pasta in the same pan I made the bread crumbs in (didn’t wipe it out). I also added the broccoli to the boiling pasta when almost done, then strained the whole thing when the broccoli got bright green. I am lazy so I also used pre chopped garlic and didn’t accurately measure the seasoning. Turned out great!
Agree, I used way too many pots. These are good tips.