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Baked chicken Alfredo pasta combines tender chicken, pasta, and creamy Alfredo sauce under a layer of melted mozzarella. Finished in the oven until bubbly and lightly golden, this is an easy comfort dinner ready in about 45 minutes.
Here’s Why This Chicken Alfredo Bake Recipe Works
Leftovers reheat like a dream: Thanks to that stabilized sauce, you can warm it up without losing the creamy texture. No oily puddles or dried-out bites.
Cream cheese stabilizes the sauce: It emulsifies the fat and liquid, so the sauce stays smooth instead of breaking or getting greasy.
Reserved pasta water trick: Adding a splash of starchy water keeps things silky and helps the sauce cling to every piece of pasta.
One-skillet option: No need to dirty a separate casserole dish if you’ve got a deep oven-safe skillet. Go straight from stovetop to oven.
Ingredient Notes
Pasta: Short shapes like penne, rotini, or ziti hold the sauce well and bake evenly.
Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work great here, but thighs are a flavorful swap if you prefer dark meat. Just cut into bite-size pieces for even cooking.
Alfredo sauce: Use homemade Alfredo sauce if you’ve got it, but storebought works fine.
Cream cheese: Full-fat melts smoother and gives the sauce that rich, velvety base.
Mozzarella: Low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella shreds best and browns nicely. Fresh mozzarella is too wet for this bake.
Parmesan: Skip the shelf-stable stuff in a can. Freshly grated Parmesan melts in cleanly and adds better flavor.
This recipe is similar in spirit to my chicken Alfredo lasagna, just faster and less fussy.
Recipe Tips
Use barely al dente pasta: Slightly undercooking the pasta keeps it from turning mushy after baking.
Don’t skip the stir: Make sure to fully melt and combine the cream cheese into the sauce for a smooth texture.
Grate your own cheese: Pre-shredded mozzarella doesn’t melt as well. Grate it fresh for the best melt and flavor.
Keep an eye near the end: Bake until the top is golden and bubbly, not dried out. Start checking around 22 minutes.
Salt the pasta water: It’s your one shot to season the pasta itself, which helps the whole dish taste seasoned.
Use a deep skillet or dish: This bake has volume. If your skillet is too shallow it’ll bubble over or dry out around the edges.
Let it rest before serving: A 5-minute rest lets the sauce thicken slightly and cling to the pasta better.
Loosen with pasta water if needed: If the sauce tightens up too much before baking, a splash of reserved pasta water brings it back to silky.
Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
Chicken alfredo casserole bake is what weeknight dinner should be: hearty, hands-off once it hits the oven, and packed with creamy, cheesy comfort. Leftovers? Even better the next day.
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Baked Chicken Alfredo Casserole
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces dry pasta, penne, rotini, or ziti
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups alfredo sauce, homemade or storebought
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 ¼ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until just barely al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water, then drain and set aside.
- Heat a 12-inch deep oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and when hot, add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour the alfredo sauce into the skillet with the chicken. Once the sauce is warmed through, add the cream cheese and stir until fully melted and smooth.
- Stir in 1½ cups of the mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese until melted and evenly combined.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and gently toss until everything is well coated. If the sauce seems thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen it. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Sprinkle the remaining ¾ cup mozzarella evenly over the top. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake uncovered for 20 to 28 minutes, until bubbly around the edges and lightly golden on top. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving so the sauce sets slightly.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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