Chicken Alfredo Bake Recipe for Busy Nights

Name: Chicken Alfredo Bake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 44 min
Total time: 59 min
Ingredients: 16 oz pasta (uncooked); 1 lb chicken (diced and uncooked); 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 2 tsp Italian seasoning; 1 1/2 cups chicken bone broth; 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded); 3 tbsp grass fed butter; 2 tbsp flour (gluten free or regular); 1 1/2 cups milk (plant based or whole); 15 oz can coconut cream; 1 cup chicken bone broth; 8 oz cream cheese; 6 oz Parmesan cheese (shredded or grated); 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp Italian seasoning

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There’s nothing better than a creamy, cheesy chicken alfredo bake when you’re craving comfort food. This dish is packed with tender pasta, juicy chicken, and a rich Alfredo sauce, all baked together in one dish until golden and bubbly.

Whether you grab a jar of Alfredo from the grocery store or whisk up my homemade version in a large saucepan (it takes about 10 minutes and it’s next level delicious), this chicken pasta bake is guaranteed to be a family favorite. Everything cooks together in one casserole dish, which means dinner is handled and the sink isn’t full of pots. That’s a win in my house.

Why You’ll Love This Baked Chicken Alfredo

This baked chicken alfredo recipe is about as low effort as dinner gets. You don’t cook the pasta first, you don’t drain anything, and you don’t dirty a single extra pot unless you’re making the homemade sauce. The noodles cook right in the creamy sauce in a preheated oven, soaking up all that flavor while you go do literally anything else. It’s basically a chicken alfredo casserole that builds itself.

It’s also sneaky high in protein. Between the chicken, the cheese, and the bone broth, you’re getting 32 grams of protein per serving, which makes this one of those rare comfort food dinners that actually keeps everyone full.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Pasta: 16 ounces of uncooked short pasta. Yes, uncooked. Trust the process.
Chicken: 1 pound, diced and uncooked. It cooks right in the sauce and stays so juicy.
Seasonings: a teaspoon of garlic powder, a teaspoon of onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Simple but it does the job.
Chicken bone broth: this is what cooks the pasta and adds extra protein. Regular chicken broth works too.
Mozzarella cheese: for that golden, bubbly top.
Alfredo sauce: use a 22 ounce jar from the grocery store for convenience, or make my homemade Alfredo with butter, flour, milk, coconut cream, broth, cream cheese, and Parmesan. The homemade version is richer and worth the extra 10 minutes if you have them.

What Pasta Works Best

Any short pasta works here. Uncooked penne pasta and ziti are my go-to because the sauce gets inside the noodles, but farfalle, rotini, or whatever favorite short pasta is sitting in your pantry will do the job. Just keep it uncooked! That’s the whole magic of this pasta bake.

Skip long noodles like fettuccine or spaghetti for this one. They don’t cook evenly straight in the dish and you’ll end up with some crunchy spots, and not the good kind.

Add-Ins and Variations

Make it a chicken broccoli alfredo pasta bake: stir in 2 cups of small broccoli florets with everything else before baking. The broccoli steams right in the dish and my toddler actually eats it, which feels like a personal victory.

More vegetables: sliced mushrooms and a few handfuls of fresh spinach both work great. Stir the spinach in when you add the mozzarella so it wilts without getting slimy.

Crunchy top: sprinkle seasoned bread crumbs over the mozzarella before that final broil for a golden, crispy finishing touch.

Fresh herbs: a little fresh thyme or extra parsley at the end makes it feel fancy with zero extra effort.

Faster chicken options: swap in cooked, shredded rotisserie chicken or even canned chicken if that’s what you’ve got. If your chicken is already cooked, stir it in with the mozzarella instead of at the beginning so it doesn’t dry out.

Different cheese: white cheddar or Monterey Jack instead of mozzarella gives it a slightly different flavor.

Gluten free: use gluten free pasta and a 1:1 gluten free flour blend for the homemade sauce.

How to Make Chicken Alfredo Bake

Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees F and spraying a 9×13 casserole dish with oil.

Step 1: If you’re making the homemade Alfredo sauce, melt the butter in a large saucepan, then whisk in the flour and seasonings for about 2 minutes. Pour in the milk, coconut cream, and broth and stir for a few minutes, then add the cream cheese and let it melt completely. Remove from the heat, whisk in the Parmesan, and your creamy sauce is done. If you’re using jarred sauce, skip all of that and go straight to assembling.

Step 2: Add everything except the mozzarella to your baking dish, give it a good stir, cover with foil, and bake for 35 minutes. The foil is important here, it traps the moisture so the pasta cooks through.

Step 3: Remove the foil, sprinkle the mozzarella over the top, and bake uncovered for another 6 minutes. Then switch your oven to broil for about 3 minutes until the cheese is golden brown. Keep an eye on it, broilers have a mind of their own.

Step 4: Let it cool, plate it up, and top with parsley.

Recipe Tips

Use uncooked pasta for the best texture. Cooking the noodles directly in the sauce lets them absorb flavor and keeps everything creamy. No need to boil or drain anything, just make sure the dish is covered with foil for that first bake.

Season the chicken well. Since the chicken cooks in the sauce, the garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning are doing the heavy lifting. Don’t skip them.

Taste before serving. Jarred sauces vary a lot in seasoning, so give it a taste and add salt and pepper if it needs a little something.

Broil at the end for a golden top. Those last few minutes under the broiler melt the cheese into a bubbly, golden crust. It’s the best part, don’t skip it.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerator: store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The sauce thickens as it sits, so add a splash of milk when reheating.

Freezer: freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. This bake freezes surprisingly well.

Reheating: warm in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes, or microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between. A little broth or milk brings back the creamy texture.

frequently asked questions

Can I use rotisserie chicken instead of raw chicken?

Yes! Use about 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken and stir it in when you add the mozzarella, since it’s already cooked.

Why is my pasta still hard?

Two usual suspects: the foil wasn’t sealed tightly during the first bake, or your oven runs cool. Cover it back up and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until the noodles are tender.

Do I really not have to cook the pasta first?

Really. The broth and sauce cook the noodles right in the dish. It’s the best part of this whole recipe.

Can I make this ahead of time?

You can assemble it a few hours ahead and keep it covered in the fridge, then bake when you’re ready. You may need to add 5 extra minutes to the covered bake time since it’s starting cold.

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Chicken Alfredo Bake