Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
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Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake – A simple, no-fuss dinner that you can easily make right at home with very few ingredients and ready in just 30 minutes.
Does anyone just get intense, show stopping cravings for Alfredo? Alfredo sauce is so darn good and creamy and rich and just yummy! Luckily, this sauce is one of the easiest you can make, it’s super basic and perfectly creamy.
I love simple dinner recipes like this, I literally put this together in only 30 minutes. This is perfect, especially after a long hard day at work, and you come home and you’re all tired and don’t feel like slaving in the kitchen for a couple hours.
All you really need is butter, flour, and Parmesan cheese, ingredients that I always have in the house. I wanted to make this a bit heartier though so that we wouldn’t be hungry half hour after eating it, so I added some chicken.
Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
I know you all must have at least some taste buds that are similar to mine, I mean that’s why you you come to my blog right? Well then we can all agree that pasta is almost always the answer to “what should we eat tonight?”. I say almost because sometimes you just want to switch things up a little, and a pasta bake is the perfect way to do just that.
Can I Use Other Types Of Pasta?
This dish will work with many other types of pasta if you have some in the pantry you’d like to use up. The Alfredo sauce is just so delicious, it’s good with anything! I like to use a shaped pasta so that there’s lots of ridges for the sauce to cling to, I especially recommend something smaller like penne, fusilli, elbow, or bowtie.
Ingredients In Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Pasta – I used elbow macaroni noodles today but feel free to use whichever kind you’d prefer, but I highly recommend it be a small shaped noodle.
- Butter – Unsalted as to control the sodium content of our dish.
- Chicken – Boneless and skinless chicken breast, cubed up into bite sized pieces.
- Cheese – Shredded mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Flour – Just a bit of all purpose to help thicken up our sauce, if you’re gluten free feel free to use corn starch instead.
- Cream – We’re using heavy cream to form a beautiful creamy sauce.
- Pasta water – The starch in the pasta water will help our sauce thicken, be sure to grab some before draining the pasta.
- Seasoning – Salt and pepper.
- Parsley – Minced up nice and fine and sprinkled liberally over top.
Why Do We Use Pasta Water?
Pasta water will add flavor and seasoning to your dish (you’re always making sure to salt your pasta water right?). It will also help thicken our sauce and ensure the sauce sticks to our pasta. It will also add a sheen to your sauce, so be sure to always reserve a little bit! This is the secret to all great pasta sauces.
How To Make Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Prepare the pasta: Turn your broiler on. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
- Cook the chicken: In a large skillet melt 1 tbsp of the butter. Add chicken pieces and cook just until chicken is no longer pink and is beginning to slightly brown. Remove chicken from skillet.
- Form the sauce: In the same skillet, add remaining butter and melt it. Pour the heavy cream in the skillet and whisk it. Add the flour and continue whisking until sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper and add the Parmesan cheese. Continue whisking. By now the sauce should be pretty thick, use some of the pasta water to thin it out a bit. Add chicken and pasta to skillet and toss well.
- Finish the dish: Top with mozzarella cheese and place under the broiler for about 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly and gets golden brown, checking often to make sure the top doesn’t burn. Garnish with parsley and more Parmesan cheese if preferred.
Tips For Making The Perfect Alfredo Sauce
- The sauce will seem thin when you start to mix in the pasta. Don’t worry, just keep tossing. The starches from the pasta will mix into the sauce to give the the perfect consistency. If you use flour or cornstarch to thicken the sauce, it may come out with a gluey consistency once it’s cooled down a bit.
- You can add a few tsp of Italian seasoning, a pinch of nutmeg or red pepper flakes to add some flare to this sauce. Feel free to get creative with seasoning.
- You can adjust the ratio of cream to milk in this recipe to suit how rich you’d like it to be.
What Can I Serve With Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake?
This rich, creamy dish pairs beautifully with light and simple sides like salads and roasted veggies. This pasta bake is completely satisfying on its own so if you’d rather just curl up on the couch with a big old bowl, I won’t stop you.
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Greek Salad
- Mediterranean Couscous Salad
- Kale And Quinoa Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette
- Tabbouleh Salad
- Italian Roasted Mushrooms And Veggies
Storing Leftover Easy Chicken Alfredo Bake
You can store this recipe easily in the fridge. In an airtight container it’ll keep for 3 – 5 days just be sure it’s properly cooled before storing. Unfortunately this dish doesn’t freeze well so I recommend either making it day of or a few days before and storing in the fridge.
Craving More Pasta? Try These Delicious Recipes:
- One Pot Beef Ragu Pasta
- Creamy Avocado And Spinach Pasta
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Chicken Pesto Caprese Pasta
- Three Cheese Hamburger Helper
- One Pot Chili Mac And Cheese
- Cheesy Taco Pasta
- One Pot Creamy Parmesan Pasta
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Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 30 mins
Serves: 6
Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake - A simple, no-fuss dinner that you can easily make right at home with very few ingredients and ready in just 30 minutes.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 oz pasta uncooked, I used elbow macaroni
- 3 tbsp butter unsalted
- 1 chicken breast cut into small pieces
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- salt and pepper to taste
- parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Turn your broiler on. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water.
- In a large skillet melt 1 tbsp of the butter. Add chicken pieces and cook just until chicken is no longer pink and is beginning to slightly brown. Remove chicken from skillet.
- In the same skillet, add remaining butter and melt it. Pour the heavy cream in the skillet and whisk it. Add the flour and continue whisking until sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper and add the Parmesan cheese. Continue whisking. By now the sauce should be pretty thick, use some of the pasta water to thin it out a bit. Add chicken and pasta to skillet and toss well.
- Top with mozzarella cheese and place under the broiler for about 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly and gets golden brown, checking often to make sure the top doesn't burn.
- Garnish with parsley and more Parmesan cheese if preferred.
Recipe Notes
- You can store this recipe easily in the fridge. In an airtight container it’ll keep for 3 – 5 days just be sure it’s properly cooled before storing. Unfortunately this dish doesn’t freeze well so I recommend either making it day of or a few days before and storing in the fridge.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 604kcal (30%)Carbohydrates: 60g (20%)Protein: 24g (48%)Fat: 29g (45%)Saturated Fat: 18g (113%)Cholesterol: 105mg (35%)Sodium: 360mg (16%)Potassium: 294mg (8%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 2g (2%)Vitamin A: 984IU (20%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 286mg (29%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
faith t says
I loved this recipe SO MUCH! I am a big fan of Chicken Alfredo and I didn’t know how to cook it until I found this recipe 😩. This was so quick and easy I’m most definitely using again. It also tastes delicious, that my family loved it!
Betty Quigley says
I want yo make this for my bunco group which is a group of 12 women. Do I just double these ingredients as they like to eat. I was actually thinking of more than double so I would have enough. What are your suggestions
Jo Cooks Team says
If you’ll be serving other dishes alongside the pasta, then doubling the recipe should be enough. If this is the only dish, then I’d triple it!
Sean Garcia says
I made this tonight, but cooking for 1 so I cut the recipe in half 2 times. Creamy and cheesy, I loved it. Thank you !!
Mike says
Made this for a second time tonight. Another great recipe that is in the rotation. Even my son said “Yep, it’s pretty good.” That is truly high praise (especially with the broccoli I put in there).
Thank you.
Joanna Cismaru says
Love it when kids approve!
JoyceB says
I just ran across this recipe today and made it for lunch. Like the previous cooks l added garlic. It was awesome. I will add it to my regular rotation. Served it with seasoned broccoli and buttered garlic knots. Delicious. Thank you for this great dish.
Joanna Cismaru says
My pleasure, glad you liked it!
Ashley says
What a great easy recipe! I think I am going to cook the chicken with some garlic and add some diced tomato and brocoli to the bake… Gonna give it a go this evening! Can’t wait!
jo says
Great idea Ashley. Enjoy!
Analisse Shannon says
For the boiling part at the end. What temperature is that suppose to be on? 350 degrees?
jo says
Do you mean broiling? I usually turn on the broiler to HIGH and keep it under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown a bit, make sure you watch it because it could burn quickly under the broiler.
Rebecca says
We LOVE this recipe! I didn’t want to run to the store, so substituted evaporated milk for the heavy cream and it worked out great! I sprinkled fresh snipped basil at serving time–what a hit! Thank you for this meal idea and recipe! I tried to rate it all 5 stars , but not sure the graphics are working right for me!
jo says
Thank you Rebecca, so glad you guys liked this recipe!
Terri says
I was just writing down the needed ingredients and realized there is no garlic listed!! Is this correct?
jo says
I didn’t add any garlic to this but feel free to add a couple cloves, it would be great!
Terri says
Thanks, was just surprised and thought I better double check. Making it tonite, adding a bit of garlic….so we shall see! 😉
Terri says
I was just checking for this recipe again….realized I never let you know that it turned out delicious!! I did add some garlic, and some crushed garlic croutons to the top as well before broiling. It received rave reviews, so hats off to you!!
jo says
So glad you guys liked it!!
Kristin says
This looks great! I want to make this to freeze and reheat. Do you have instructions for reheating?
jo says
I would just reheat it in the microwave. 🙂
Kristin says
I meant can I make the recipe up to a certain point, freeze, then take out of the freezer to cook? Or do you suggest making the recipe all the way through and reheating at 350? I Just don’t want it to dry out!
jo says
Oh sorry, I misunderstood your question. That’s a great question actually, I think that’s a great idea actually, to not cook it all the way through, and just freeze it, and when you’re ready to serve, just heat it in the oven at 350, and then for the last couple minutes I would still turn the broiler on to get that nice golden color on top. Let me know how it turns out. 🙂
Kristin says
Great, thank you! I’m making this for a pair of new parents, I bet they’re going to love it.
Ana says
Very nice! What is a broiler though? if i dont have one can i do it on the stove or oven?
jo says
Usually most ovens have a BROIL setting, it’s very high heat coming from the top of the oven.
Octavia says
Hi! I plan on making this for dinner tonight and I just had 1 question….What do you mean by “heavy cream” in the ingredients? Like what kind of cream do I use?
jo says
Heavy cream, also called heavy whipping cream, is whipping cream with a milk fat content of between 36 and 40 percent.
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
Craving all of the cheesy deliciousness of this alfredo pasta bake now. Looks divine Jo!
jo says
Thanks Thalia!
Devan says
Your website is great! Such a life saver. I made this for dinner and it was great. We don’t eat wheat in our household so I used elbow corn pasta by SamMills and rice flour by Betty Crocker. I used 3 chicken breasts instead of one when I saw it required 16 oz of pasta. My husband likes his meat! Thanks so much for the work you do! All the recipes I’ve tried so far from your site have been a hit!
jo says
Thank you so much Devan, and I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes. 🙂
Judy says
This sounds lovely.
An ordinary whisk or the electric beaters?
jo says
Just an ordinary whisk Judy.