Made with 3 kinds of cheese, this creamy Chicken Alfredo Bake is packed with juicy chicken and melty cheese for the perfect easy weeknight dinner. Even with a homemade alfredo sauce, it’s still super quick to make!
Why You’ll Love This Baked Chicken Alfredo Recipe
This cheesy baked chicken alfredo pasta is proof that homemade is always better. Here are a few reasons why.
- Made With Homemade Sauce: With juicy chicken and penne pasta in every bite, the homemade alfredo sauce just ties it all together. Made with parmesan, cream cheese, and mozzarella, can it get any better? Yes, yes it can. There’s also garlic, heavy cream, and butter.
- Quick and Easy Prep: The prep time on this baked chicken alfredo is just 15 minutes – the rest is hands off! Pop it in the oven for a bit and dinner is ready in well under an hour.
- Endless Ways to Customize: As you’ll see noted below there are endless ways to customize this chicken alfredo bake by adding and swapping ingredients.
Can’t get enough of this cheesy goodness? You’ll also love our spicy taco mac and cheese and baked mac and cheese recipes! If you’re looking for more alfredo recipes, be sure to check out our chicken broccoli alfredo bake – it’s a great way to sneak in some green veggies!
What You’ll Need
Time to load up on cheese! Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact amounts.
For the Chicken and Pasta
- Chicken: We used chicken breasts, but feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead.
- Seasonings: This recipe keeps it simple with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Olive Oil: Vegetable, corn, and canola oil work too.
- Penne Pasta: Any other short pasta will also work in this recipe.
- Fresh Herbs: We opt to use parsley, but basil would be delicious as well.
For the Alfredo Sauce
- Butter: We prefer unsalted butter because cheese already has a high sodium content.
- Heavy Cream: You can also use half & half, but don’t use sour cream or milk. The consistency of the sauce won’t be right.
- Garlic: Fresh is always best for flavor, but you can sub 3 teaspoons of garlic powder if needed.
- Cheese: You’ll want to grab some fresh blocks of parmesan cheese, cream cheese, and shredded mozzarella cheese.
How to Make Chicken Alfredo Bake
Cook the chicken, make the sauce, toss it, and bake. That’s all you need to do for this baked chicken alfredo recipe. Check out the recipe card for detailed directions.
- Cook the Chicken: Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Cook in the olive oil for 6-8 minutes, until each piece is golden-brown.
- Make the Alfredo Sauce: Melt the butter in the same pan, scraping up those tasty chicken pieces. Add the heavy cream, bring to a simmer, then add the garlic. Whisk in the parmesan cheese until fully melted, followed by the cream cheese, and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
- Combine: Toss cooked pasta with the alfredo sauce then stir in the chicken in an oven-safe skillet or casserole dish. Top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Bake: Bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with parsley and enjoy!
Easy Variations & Add-Ins
Adding veggies, using bacon, swapping the protein, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes can transform this easy chicken alfredo bake into other yummy versions of it.
- Add Bacon: Dice 3-4 bacon strips and cook them until crispy. Remove them from the heat and set the bacon aside. Use the fat to cook the chicken. Mix the bacon into the pasta ingredients right before baking and give this recipe a smokey kick.
- Spice It Up: Sprinkling red pepper flakes to taste over the pasta (or into the sauce) will give it a bit of heat.
- Use Turkey: Turkey breasts are a yummy swap for chicken in this recipe.
- Add Mushrooms: Sliced mushrooms are a great veggie add-in.
- Ranch: If you are a ranch fan, skip the Italian seasonings and instead add a teaspoon or two of dried ranch seasoning (the kind in the ranch seasoning packet sold next to the salad dressings).
Tips for Success
These tips for making baked chicken alfredo will help you make the best sauce and reduce clean-up when you’re done.
- Reduce Clean-Up: If you use an oven-safe skillet, this recipe can go straight from the stovetop to the oven and reduce the number of dishes you have to clean. If you’re using a baking dish, line it with foil before transferring the pasta into it. This way you can just throw it out when you’re done and reduce clean-up too.
- Use Fresh Parmesan: Make sure you are using freshly grated parmesan cheese. If you use the kind in a green bottle, it will have preservatives that will thicken the sauce. Add a little extra cream as needed to get it to your desired consistency.
- Strain the Sauce: If you’re not sure the cheese is fully melted, you can always strain the sauce to make sure it’s extra smooth.
What to Serve with Baked Chicken Alfredo
Since it’s already got pasta, we like to pair this baked chicken alfredo with lighter veggie sides, salads, and soups. Nothing exceptionally creamy so that the meal isn’t overwhelmingly rich.
For an easy veggie side, try our air fryer asparagus or easy roasted mushrooms. For light salads, go for our Greek salad or green bean salad. Finally, pair it with a warm bowl of our vegetable soup, tomato soup, or sausage and kale soup with white beans. A hunk of warm goat cheese garlic bread would also go great!
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Fridge. Once fully cooled, refrigerate the leftovers for up to 3 days. Keep it away from heat and sunlight when it’s on the counter for reheating. You should also keep it away from onions and other strong-smelling foods to avoid the transfer of odors.
- Reheat. To reheat it, sprinkle the pasta with 1-2 teaspoons of water or milk and microwave it for up to a minute or until warm. You can also heat it on the stove over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly. The oven is a good option for larger portions. Preheat it to 350°F and bake it for 10 minutes or until warm.
- Freezer. I do not recommend freezing this chicken alfredo bake, as it will change the texture of the sauce and pasta.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Assemble your chicken alfredo bake up to 2 days in advance and just pop it into the oven right before serving for a quick meal. Cover it with foil or plastic wrap to keep it from drying out in the fridge.
It’s extra prep-friendly if you make the sauce up to 3 days in advance or cook the chicken up to 2 days before. (Note that cooking these ingredients in advance will reduce the amount of time you should store the leftovers.)
It’s cheese! The key ingredient in this Alfredo sauce is cheese – parmesan, cream cheese, and fresh mozzarella. If you want your sauce to be thicker, just add more cheese to achieve the consistency you’d like.
More Easy Chicken Pasta Recipes
- Chicken, Artichoke and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
- Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Creamy Chicken Pasta Salad
- Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
- Loaded Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Cajun Chicken Alfredo
Chicken Alfredo Bake
Ingredients
For the Pasta
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 oz penne pasta, cooked and drained
- Parsley, optional garnish
For the Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 cups freshly shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Mix the chicken, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning in a medium size bowl.
- Heat olive oil in a large, oven safe skillet and cook the chicken for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until each piece of chicken is a golden-brown. Remove the pieces of chicken and set them aside.
- For the alfredo sauce, melt the butter in the same pan and scrape up any chicken pieces stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Then pour in the heavy cream and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally.
- Add in the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds, or until it becomes fragrant. Then whisk in 1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese until fully melted.
- Next add in the cream cheese, ½ cup of mozzarella, salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine, then remove the skillet from the heat. Set aside.
- Toss the cooked pasta into the alfredo sauce in the oven safe skillet. Add the cooked chicken and mix until each piece is coated in the creamy sauce. (If you don’t have an oven safe skillet, you can transfer the pasta to a casserole dish for baking.)
- Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese over the top of the pasta.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve with freshly chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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