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Chicken Alfredo Bake

This Chicken Alfredo Bake is your favorite chicken Alfredo recipe in creamy casserole form. Hearty pasta gets tossed with luscious Alfredo sauce and juicy chicken then layered with a hidden layer of provolone cheese and sour cream that melts when baked for a ridiculous amount of velvety creamy, cheesy gooey goodness! This chicken Alfredo pasta is easy to customize with extra veggies or different proteins and can be assembled ahead of time – but one thing stays constant – this Chicken Alfredo Bake is always a cheesy, comforting, home run!
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8 -12 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound cellentani pasta (may sub ziti, penne or fusilli,)
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter may sub half olive oil
  • 6-8 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 3 cups half and half
  • 1 tsp EACH onion powder, dried parsley, dried basil, salt
  • 1/2 tsp EACH dried thyme, pepper, chicken bouillon, red pepper flakes
  • 2 cups shredded Rotisserie chicken (see notes)
  • 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 6-8 slices provolone cheese
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  • Cook pasta just until al dente according to package directions – don’t overcook! Strain and rinse with cold water.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. Set aside.
  • While pasta is cooking, make Alfredo Sauce. Melt 5 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat then whisk in flour and garlic. Cook, while stirring for 2 minutes. Turn heat to low then gradually whisk in half and half, chicken broth and all spices/seasonings.
  • Bring to a boil, whisking constantly then reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally until thickened (but not overly thick), 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in Parmesan cheese until melted. Stir in chicken and pasta and toss until evenly coated (it will seem like a lot of extra sauce which is a good thing).
  • Pour half of the pasta into prepared baking dish and spread in an even layer. Layer pasta evenly with provolone cheese followed by an even layer of sour cream. Pour remaining pasta over sour cream and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
  • Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and inside provolone is melted. Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

How to Cook Your own chicken:

  • Chop 1 pound chicken into bite size pieces.
  • While the chicken is still on the cutting board, dab with a paper towel then toss with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon paprika.
  • Melt one tablespoon butter (may sub olive oil) over medium heat.
  • Increase heat to medium high and add chicken in a single layer and sear for one minute without moving chicken then continue to cook and stir chicken just until cooked through. Remove to a plate.
 

CHICKEN ALFREDO RECIPE VARIATIONS:

This Chicken Alfredo Pasta is delicious in its classic cheesiness or you can use the recipe as a base to customize it.  Here are a few ideas:
  • Swap protein.  I know this is CHICKEN Alfredo Bake, but that doesn’t mean you can’t turn it into turkey, beef, ham or sausage Alfredo Bake!   Crispy, salty bacon also pairs beautifully with Alfredo – with or without chicken.
  • Skip the protein.  You can instantly turn this easy pasta casserole into a side dish by omitting the protein.
  • Substitute cheeses.  You can substitute the provolone with any other favorite melting cheese:  mozzarella, Asiago, Gouda, smoked cheddar, Monterrey, etc. - the possibilities are endless!
  • Add veggies.  Broccoli and Alfredo pair particularly nicely together like in my Shrimp Broccoli Alfredo.  Other possible veggie additions include petite peas, bell peppers, zucchini, asparagus, mushrooms, spinach, etc.  You will want to steam, roast or boil the veggies before adding to the pasta.  An easy method is to add them to the boiling pasta the last couple minutes of cooking like I do with asparagus in my BLT Pasta Salad.
  • Add panko topping.  There are two ways to add panko:  1) sprinkle panko over the top of your casserole and spray lightly with cooking spray; bake according to directions then broil; 2) for the CRUNCHIEST panko topping, I recommend toasting it in a skillet first – life changing.  To do this, melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet. Add 3/4 cup panko and stir and cook unto panko becomes golden brown. Evenly sprinkle over Chicken Alfredo pasta and bake according to directions.
  • Make casserole gluten-free.  To make this chicken Alfredo recipe gluten free, use your favorite gluten free pasta and gluten free flour.
 

PREP AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS

You can make and assemble the Chicken Alfredo Bake a day in advance and refrigerate (without baking) or make the sauce ahead and/or pasta ahead of time. Here's a breakdown of your options:

1. Assemble and refrigerate: 

  • Take care that your noodles are cooked al dente and are rinsed in cold water so they don’t keep cooking.
  • Take care the Alfredo Sauce isn't too thick as it will thicken more sitting in the refrigerator.
  • Assemble Chicken Alfredo Bake according to directions up until baking.
  • Tightly cover with foil and refrigerate.
  • Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
  • Bake according to directions or until completely warmed through.

2. Make Alfredo sauce in advance:

  • You can make the Alfredo sauce up to 3 days in advance.
  • Refrigerate it in an airtight container.
  • Gently heat in a large skillet before using, adding additional milk as needed to thin to desired consistency.

3. Make pasta in advance:

  • You can cook the pasta al dente up to 5 days ahead of time.
  • Rinse pasta with cool water.
  • Toss with a drizzle of oil to prevent it from sticking together. 
  • Transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag and squeeze out excess air.
  • Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

CAN I FREEZE Chicken Alfredo Bake?

Yes!  You can freeze Chicken Alfredo Bake that is baked or unbaked. You can make just to freeze or eat half and freeze the leftovers or portion it into two 8x8 casserole dishes and eat one now and freeze the other. You could even portion it out into individual portions once bake and just microwave to reheat.
So, how well does Chicken Alfredo Bake freeze?  It freezes pretty well because the base is a roux and not just heavy cream. That being said, the cheese can become a little grainy, but still delicious.  So, expect delicious – just not fresh out of the oven perfection.  For best results, I recommend freezing unbaked pasta casserole (pasta is less mushy), but both methods will work.

HOW TO FREEZE UNCOOKED CHICKEN ALFREDO BAKE (recommended)

For best results, I recommend freezing unbaked Chicken Alfredo Bake because the pasta only bakes ones instead of twice which means more al dente pasta. 
  • Take care to cook pasta al dente.
  • Assemble Chicken Alfredo Bake according to recipe directions in a freezer safe dish.
  • Wrap casserole dish all the way with 2 layers of plastic wrap.
  • Cover the plastic wrap with one layer of aluminum foil.
  • Label Chicken Alfredo Bake.
  • Freeze for up to 3 months.

HOW TO FREEZE COOKED CHICKEN ALFREDO BAKE

  • Take care to cook pasta al dente.
  • Bake according to directions in a freezer safe dish.
  • Let cool on the counter for one hour.
  • Cover casserole with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill completely before freezing (this will prevent an unpleasant texture).
  • Cover casserole tightly with a second layer of plastic wrap all the way around the dish followed one layer of aluminum foil.
  • Label Chicken Alfredo Bake.
  • Freeze for up to 3 months.

HOW TO COOK CHICKEN ALFREDO PASTA FROM FROZEN

  • Do NOT defrost Chicken Alfredo Bake before baking – this will result in the best texture (vs mushy).
  • Remove plastic wrap from casserole and cover tightly with foil.
  • Bake covered at 350 degrees F for one hour.
  • Uncover and bake an addition 10-15 minutes or until hot in the center.