Baked Chicken Alfredo is one of those dishes we just can't get enough of! This easy version keeps things nice and easy with penne pasta, chicken, and that creamy Alfredo sauce we all love.
Baked Chicken Alfredo Recipe
Love one-pot dinners? Try chicken sweet potato skillet and million dollar chicken casserole next!
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Readers Feedback
This was so delicious, took it to our potluck lunch and big hit, made it gluten free.
- Marion, our reader
Ingredients
- Penne pasta - this is our go-to pasta we have used for Chicken Bacon Pasta and Chicken Fajita Pasta recipes. Any small pasta with enough texture to cling onto that creamy sauce works perfectly. My next top picks: fusilli, ziti, and rotini.
- Flour - use your favorite flour or for GF try my easy gluten-free flour blend.
- Alfredo sauce - this homemade sauce is seriously the simplest to whip up, and there's absolutely no reason not to give it a shot. Those store-bought jars? Meh, not great for you, packed with GMOs and other unnecessary stuff.
- Chicken - leftover rotisserie chicken is convenient, but I prefer cooking fresh chicken. Chicken thighs, with their juicy tenderness, outshine boneless, skinless breasts any day.
- Milk + cream - for the richest, creamiest sauce, nothing beats the combination of whole milk and cream. While you can opt for half and half or more milk, using both milk and cream yields the most indulgent results.
- Cheese - load up on the gooey, melty cheeses—think quality Parmesan and mozzarella. While pre-grated works, I find grating fresh mozzarella yields the best melt!
- Garlic - you could skip this step, but it adds a necessary flavor kick to the Alfredo sauce, preventing it from being too bland. I typically use 1 ½ teaspoons of mixed garlic, but feel free to double it, especially if you love garlic.
Julia's Tip
Since the ingredients are already cooked, like the pasta and chicken, it's important to monitor the baking time closely.
Overcooking can lead to mushy and soggy pasta, especially if it absorbs too much sauce during baking.
How To Make Baked Chicken Alfredo - Step By Step Photos
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Use leftover chicken or pan fry it for a couple of minutes until done.
- Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in the milk and cream in batches, then simmer, whisking constantly, until the sauce has just thickened.
The sauce is ready when it coats the back of a wooden spoon.
- Season with salt and black pepper.
- Remove from the heat and stir in parmesan. Stir continuously until the cheese is melted.
- In a large bowl combine pasta, and chicken and pour in the sauce. Combine and mix well until all the paste is nicely coated in the sauce mixture.
- Grease a baking dish (I used 8x11) lightly with oil or butter. Transfer half of the pasta mixture to the dish and top with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Repeat with one more layer of pasta and cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes (uncovered), until cheese is melted and golden brown. Serve with fresh parsley.
What To Serve With Chicken Alfredo Pasta?
- Cucumber Salad
- Cabbage Salad
- Pico de Gallo
- Tomato Onion Salad
- Roasted asparagus
- broccoli or cauliflower
- garlic bread - oh, yum!
Tips
- You can easily scale down this pasta dish for fewer servings. Just halve the main ingredients and bake it in a smaller dish. Keep an eye on the baking time as it might need to be slightly reduced to prevent overcooking.
- You can use a variety of herbs in the pasta, like marjoram, thyme, rosemary, oregano, and basil—anything Italian will do the trick!
- More veg. Boost your veggie intake by adding blanched broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, or spinach (whether frozen or fresh) just before baking.
- Don’t forget to salt your pasta water when cooking the pasta.
Can I Substitute Heavy Cream?
Unlike authentic Alfredo sauce, the American version relies on heavy cream to smoothly melt the Parmesan, preventing clumping.
Other dairy substitutes have too much water content, hindering proper cheese melting. For this reason, I don't recommend substituting heavy cream.
How To Store Chicken Alfredo
- To Store. Leftovers can be refrigerated for 2-3 days. Pasta absorbs sauce over time, so add more Alfredo sauce when reheating. Warm in the oven until heated through or reheat individual portions as needed.
- To Make Ahead. You can prepare the pasta bake ahead of time, covering it and storing it in the fridge for up to 30 minutes to an hour. However, keep in mind that the pasta may start to absorb the sauce and could potentially overcook in the oven. Since assembling the dish takes just a few minutes, it's best to make it as fresh as possible right before baking.
- I don’t recommend freezing leftovers as the pasta will become soggy and mushy once thawed.
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Recipe Card
Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Gluten Free Chicken Alfredo Bake i sour go to pasta dinner. This gluten-free recipe combines simple ingredients like penne pasta, chicken, and creamy alfredo sauce. It is often made with cajun chicken or broccoli but we are going to skip this for easy prep and make it a quick weeknight dinner meal instead.
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INGREDIENTS
- 10 ounces penne pasta , cooked al dente, GF if needed
- 3 cups diced cooked chicken
- 3 tablespoons butter , or ghee
- 2 tablespoons flour, use gluten-free blend if needed
- 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- salt and pepper , to taste
- cooking oil spray, I use avocado or olive oil
- 2 tablespoon parsley , chopped, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Use leftover chicken or pan fry it for a couple of minutes until done.10 ounces penne pasta
- Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.3 cups diced cooked chicken, 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic, 2 tablespoons flour
- Pour in the milk and cream in batches, then simmer, whisking constantly, until the sauce has just thickened. The sauce is ready when it coats the back of a wooden spoon.2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup whole milk
- Season with salt and black pepper.salt and pepper
- Remove from the heat and stir in parmesan. Stir continuously until the cheese is melted.¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
- In a large bowl combine pasta, and chicken and pour in the sauce. Combine and mix well until all the paste is nicely coated in the sauce mixture.
- Grease a baking dish (I used 8x11) lightly with oil or butter. Transfer half of the pasta mixture to the dish and top with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Repeat with one more layer of pasta and cheese.3 tablespoons butter, 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, cooking oil spray
- Bake for 20 minutes (uncovered), until cheese is melted and golden brown. Serve with fresh parsley.2 tablespoon parsley
VIDEO
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
NUTRITION
Calories: 830kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 47gFat: 51gSaturated Fat: 30gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 226mgSodium: 676mgPotassium: 745mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1915IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 422mgIron: 1mg
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Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
This recipe is inspired and adapted from here.
Tink
This was soo good! My boyfriend loved it, thank you for the recipe!
Julia
Hi Tink, thank you for your comment!
Marion
This was so delicious, took it to our potluck lunch and big hit, made it gluten free.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Marion, thank you, glad to hear you made it for potluck!
Julia
This gluten-free recipe combines simple ingredients like penne pasta, chicken, and creamy alfredo sauce. A delicious one pot meal for our weekly rotation!