Chicken Alfredo Casserole (Printable Version)

Tender chicken and penne tossed in creamy Alfredo sauce, topped with melted mozzarella and baked until golden.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or ziti pasta

→ Chicken

02 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded

→ Sauce

03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2 cups heavy cream
06 - 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
08 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
09 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

→ Cheese Topping

10 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

→ Garnish

11 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.
02 - Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Pour heavy cream into pan and bring to gentle simmer. Add Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir until cheese melts and sauce becomes smooth.
05 - Add cooked chicken and drained pasta to sauce. Mix thoroughly to coat all pasta evenly.
06 - Transfer pasta mixture into prepared baking dish. Top evenly with shredded mozzarella cheese.
07 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until cheese is bubbling and golden brown.
08 - Allow casserole to stand for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than ordering takeout and tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen.
  • The creamy sauce clings to every piece of pasta, so no one fights over the cheesy bits.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully, which means lunch is already handled tomorrow.
  • You can sneak in vegetables without anyone complaining about it.
02 -
  • Undercook the pasta by two minutes because it keeps cooking in the oven, mushy pasta ruins the whole dish.
  • Use freshly grated Parmesan instead of the green can stuff, it melts into the cream without clumping or leaving a gritty texture.
  • Let the casserole rest after baking or the first scoop will be a soupy mess, patience pays off here.
03 -
  • Toast the garlic just until fragrant but not brown, burnt garlic will make the whole sauce taste acrid.
  • Shred your own mozzarella from a block, pre shredded cheese has coatings that prevent it from melting smoothly.
  • If the sauce looks too thick, whisk in a few tablespoons of pasta water before mixing in the chicken and noodles.
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