Chicken Alfredo Creamy Bake (Print View)

A comforting blend of chicken, pasta, and Alfredo sauce baked with a golden, cheesy topping.

# Components:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz penne or rigatoni

→ Chicken

02 - 1.1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
03 - 1 tsp salt
04 - ½ tsp black pepper
05 - 1 tbsp olive oil

→ Alfredo Sauce

06 - 3 tbsp unsalted butter
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
09 - 2½ cups whole milk
10 - ½ cup heavy cream
11 - 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
12 - ½ tsp Italian seasoning
13 - ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
14 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Cheese Topping

15 - 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
16 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
17 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
02 - Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted water until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - Season diced chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken until golden and cooked through, approximately 5-6 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
05 - Gradually whisk in milk and heavy cream, stirring to prevent lumps. Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Stir in Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cook until sauce is smooth and coats the back of a spoon.
06 - Add cooked pasta and chicken to the sauce, stirring until evenly combined.
07 - Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Evenly sprinkle shredded mozzarella and additional Parmesan cheese on top.
08 - Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and golden brown.
09 - Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's genuinely foolproof—even if you've never made Alfredo from scratch, the technique is forgiving and the payoff is restaurant-quality creamy.
  • Everything comes together in one baking dish, which means less cleanup and more time to actually enjoy the people you're feeding.
  • You can have this on the table in under an hour, which somehow feels like cheating when something tastes this rich and intentional.
02 -
  • Whisk constantly when adding the milk to avoid lumps that won't disappear no matter how hard you stir—a slow pour and constant whisking is the only way.
  • Don't use pre-shredded Parmesan for the sauce itself; it won't melt smoothly because of the anti-caking agents, and you'll end up with a grainy sauce that tastes like disappointment.
  • The pasta should be slightly undercooked when you drain it because it continues cooking in the oven—overcooked pasta in a bake becomes mushy and falls apart.
03 -
  • If you're short on time, rotisserie chicken shredded into bite-sized pieces works perfectly and cuts your active cooking time down significantly without sacrificing flavor.
  • Make your sauce a shade thinner than you think it should be—the pasta will absorb liquid as it sits, and the bake will concentrate everything, creating a perfect creamy consistency in the end.
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