Chicken Alfredo Bake (Printable)

A comforting dish of tender chicken and pasta baked in rich, creamy Alfredo sauce with melted mozzarella cheese.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz penne or rigatoni

→ Chicken

02 - 1.1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
03 - 1 tsp salt
04 - ½ tsp black pepper
05 - 1 tbsp olive oil

→ Alfredo Sauce

06 - 3 tbsp unsalted butter
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
09 - 2½ cups whole milk
10 - ½ cup heavy cream
11 - 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
12 - ½ tsp Italian seasoning
13 - ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
14 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Cheese Topping

15 - 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
16 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
17 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
02 - Boil salted water in a large pot and cook pasta until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - Season diced chicken with salt and black pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken until golden and thoroughly cooked, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from skillet.
04 - Melt butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Sauté minced garlic for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
05 - Gradually whisk in whole milk and heavy cream, stirring to prevent lumps. Cook for 3-4 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
06 - Mix in Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, ground nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. Cook until sauce is smooth and coats the back of a spoon.
07 - Add cooked pasta and chicken to the sauce, stirring until ingredients are evenly combined.
08 - Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish and evenly sprinkle mozzarella and extra Parmesan cheese on top.
09 - Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and golden brown.
10 - Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's a one-dish meal that actually tastes like you fussed over it, even though you barely did.
  • The creamy Alfredo doesn't require any fancy cream sauces you can't pronounce—just butter, milk, and Parmesan working their magic together.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully, and honestly, cold the next day straight from the fridge hits different.
02 -
  • Don't skip the gradual whisking of milk into your roux—dumping it all in at once creates lumps that no amount of stirring can fix, and lumpy sauce ruins the whole mood.
  • The difference between good Alfredo and great Alfredo is grating your own Parmesan; pre-shredded won't melt into that creamy dream, it'll stay grainy and separate.
  • Your bake will keep cooking a bit after it comes out of the oven, so pull it when the cheese is golden but not yet brown—it'll darken slightly while resting.
03 -
  • Room-temperature milk whisks into your roux more smoothly than cold milk straight from the fridge—it's a small thing that prevents lumps and frustration.
  • Don't oversalt as you go; you're adding Parmesan cheese which carries salt, so taste at the very end and adjust from there, because oversalted sauce has no comeback.
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