This chicken Alfredo bake is one of those family dinners that always hits the spot. Juicy chicken is breaded and baked to a golden brown in a delicious homemade Alfredo sauce accompanied by perfectly cooked al dente pasta.
Let’s make our chicken alfredo bake! It’s a step above the rest for a few reasons:
Homemade Alfredo Sauce: This recipe doesn’t rely on canned or pre-made sauces. The Alfredo sauce is made from scratch, ensuring the freshest and creamiest taste possible.
Parmesan-Crusted Chicken: Instead of the standard grilled or boiled chicken, this recipe uses a delightful Parmesan-crusted chicken. It provides a lovely texture contrast to the pasta and sauce, and it’s so delicious that you might want to make it as a stand-alone dish!
What is in Our Chicken Alfredo Bake?
- Chicken breast: use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe.
- Italian panko breadcrumbs: regular panko breadcrumbs or Italian breadcrumbs would also work.
- Parmesan cheese: grated parmesan cheese is what makes the Alfredo sauce creamy and dreamy.
- Penne pasta: we love how this tastes with penne pasta, but feel free to use your favorite noodle.
- Butter: be sure to use unsalted butter. If you only have salted, make sure you add salt to taste.
- Garlic cloves: sauteed garlic gives the alfredo sauce a flavorful base.
- 2% milk: offers a great creamy flavor to the sauce. You can use dairy-free or another kind of milk if you wish.
- Heavy whipping cream: this is what makes the Alfredo sauce super rich and creamy.
- Nutmeg: this spice pairs great with all the other flavors.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese: the perfect melty cheese to sprinkle on top of this dish.
Substitutes & Variations
We kept this chicken alfredo casserole simple and delicious, but you’re welcome to swap ingredients or add even more flavor to this dish if you feel the urge. Here are some of our tasty ideas you could try:
Protein: While chicken is the classic pairing for Alfredo pasta, this dish would also taste delicious with steak, shrimp, or even salmon!
Veggies: Want to give your chicken Alfredo bake a nutritional boost? Vegetables like broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, peas, or asparagus would all taste great.
Cheese: You can’t go wrong with more cheese! Cheeses like Asiago, gruyere, Piave, and Pecorino Romano would taste delicious!
Herbs & Spices: Amp up the flavor of this chicken pasta bake by adding herbs and spices such as oregano, thyme, chili powder, garlic powder, or fresh parsley.
Sauces: If you want to add a bit more zing to your dish, try adding your favorite hot sauce or sriracha! Pesto would also be a great addition.
Our Favorite
Casserole Dish
This le creuset casserole dish is our all time favorite casserole dish! The white color rocks, it has a cover, and it’s great for so many dishes.
FAQs
What makes alfredo taste better?
To avoid a bland Alfredo sauce, you can always add in more seasonings! Garlic powder and Italian seasoning are classic additions, but you could also try sprinkling in some cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper for a spicy kick. For an herby punch, dried oregano, thyme, or basil can be added.
How do you thicken alfredo sauce?
There are a few ways in which you can thicken Alfredo sauce. The most common method is by adding some type of thickener like flour or cornstarch. To do this, simply mix together equal parts flour or cornstarch and cold water. Add this mixture to the Alfredo sauce while it’s warming on low heat, and whisk until it’s thickened.
Another way to thicken Alfredo sauce is by using cream cheese. Simply add a few tablespoons of softened cream cheese to the sauce and stir until it’s melted and fully incorporated. This will give your sauce a nice, creamy texture.
Storage
Store any leftover chicken alfredo bake in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
To reheat
To reheat, place the pasta in an oven-safe dish and bake at 350°F until warmed through. You can also reheat your chicken alfredo bake in the microwave until it’s completely hot.
Can you make this chicken alfredo bake ahead of time?
Yes, you can definitely make this chicken alfredo bake ahead of time. All you need to do is prepare the ingredients as directed and put them in an oven-safe casserole dish or baking pan. Then cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days before baking.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this chicken alfredo bake with cheesy garlic bread as a side. We also highly recommend serving it with this cucumber tomato feta salad or this Greek orzo salad with feta.
Chicken Alfredo Bake
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast (~4 breasts)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¾ cup Italian panko bread crumbs
- 2 oz. grated parmesan cheese ~⅓ cup
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Pasta Bake
- 16 oz. penne pasta
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups 2% milk
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 5 oz. grated parmesan cheese ~1.25 cups
- 4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese ~1 cup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Place the chicken on a cutting board and half them lengthwise. Using a meat tenderizer, pound them until the chicken flattens out and is roughly the same thickness all around, about ¼ inch thick. Set aside.
- To make the breading, place ¼ cup of flour on one plate and set aside. On a different plate, add the remaining flour, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Using a fork, mix and set them aside.
- Add 3 eggs to a bowl or plate with high sides and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- To prepare the chicken, dredge each breast in flour. Using a fork or tongs, transfer the chicken into the eggs and be sure that the egg is sticking to all sides. Then, firmly press each piece into the panko breading. Lay the chicken on a cutting board to set aside. Continue this process until all the chicken is coated.
- Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet. When the oil is fragrant, add 3-4 chicken breasts to the pan. Cook for 3 minutes, flip, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the center reaches 165ºF. Continue this process until all chicken has been cooked.
- Slice the chicken into ½-inch thick pieces. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for 9 minutes, or about 1 minute less than al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and add it back to the pot.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the 1 tablespoon of butter, olive oil, and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the remaining butter to the pan. Once it has melted, add the flour and whisk together to create a paste. Cook for 1 minute.
- Slowly whisk in the milk and heavy cream. It should thicken slightly. Reduce the heat to low. Add in the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and parmesan cheese and stir to combine until the cheese has melted.
- Transfer the sauce and chicken to the pasta. Mix to make sure everything is coated in sauce.
- Transfer the pasta and chicken onto the baking dish and top with the mozzarella cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Tips & Notes
- Precooked shredded chicken can be used in place of the parmesan-crusted chicken.
