Description
Chicken alfredo bake brings together tender pasta, creamy sauce, and seasoned chicken in one comforting dish that bakes until golden and bubbly. Getting this on your table means mixing everything together and letting the oven do the work for you.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Protein:
- 16 ounces penne pasta
- 3 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded, diced
Sauce Base:
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
Cheese and Seasonings:
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Salt, to taste
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, finely chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 375°F so it’s ready when the dish goes in.
- Cook 16 ounces of penne pasta in salted water following the package timing, then drain it while keeping 1 cup of the pasta water nearby for later adjustments.
- Melt 3 tablespoons of salted butter in your large oven-safe skillet over medium heat.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon of minced garlic and let it sizzle for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Whisk 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour into the butter and garlic mixture, cooking for 1 minute at medium heat to remove any raw flour taste.
- Pour in 2 cups of whole milk and 1 cup of heavy cream slowly while whisking constantly over medium heat until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, which takes about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese, ½ cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper to your sauce and stir at medium heat for 2 minutes until everything melts together smoothly.
- Fold in your 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken and the cooked penne pasta, mixing well at medium heat for 1 minute to combine them with the sauce throughout.
- If your mixture feels too thick, add some of your reserved pasta water a little at a time until you reach the consistency you prefer.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1½ cups of shredded mozzarella cheese across the top of your dish.
- Slide your skillet into the 375°F oven and bake uncovered for about 20 minutes until the top turns lightly golden and the edges bubble slightly.
- Remove from the oven and scatter 2 teaspoons of fresh chopped parsley over the top before serving to your table.
Notes
- Don’t skip whisking constantly when adding the milk and cream, or your sauce will end up lumpy instead of silky and smooth.
- Keep that reserved pasta water nearby because it’s your best tool for adjusting the sauce consistency if things get too thick as the dish sits.
- Rotisserie chicken saves time, but shredded cooked chicken breasts work just as well if that’s what fits your budget better.
- For a lighter version, replace the heavy cream with half-and-half or whole milk, though the sauce won’t be quite as rich.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Baked Chicken
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 606 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 632 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg