Creamy Chicken Alfredo Bake (Print Version)
Rich casserole of chicken, pasta and creamy Alfredo sauce topped with a golden mozzarella crust.
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
→ Pasta
02 - 12 oz penne or rigatoni pasta
→ Sauce
03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2 cups heavy cream
06 - 1 cup whole milk
07 - 1 ¼ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
08 - ½ teaspoon kosher salt
09 - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 - ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
→ Cheese Crust
11 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
12 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Optional Garnishes
13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook penne or rigatoni according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
03 - In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the unsalted butter. Add minced garlic and sauté for approximately 1 minute until fragrant and lightly golden, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
04 - Pour heavy cream and whole milk into the skillet, bringing the mixture to a gentle simmer. Stir in 1 ¼ cups Parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper, and ground nutmeg. Continue cooking and stirring for 4–5 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
05 - Add the shredded or diced cooked chicken and drained pasta to the Alfredo sauce. Toss everything together until all components are evenly coated.
06 - Transfer the chicken and pasta mixture to the prepared 9x13-inch baking dish, spreading it into an even layer across the entire surface.
07 - Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup grated Parmesan evenly over the entire surface to form a uniform cheese crust.
08 - Bake on the center rack for 20–25 minutes until the mozzarella crust is fully melted, golden brown, and bubbling at the edges.
09 - For an extra-crispy cheese crust, switch the oven to broil for 2–3 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.
10 - Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes to allow the sauce to set. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired. Serve warm.
# Insider Tips:
01 -
- The mozzarella crust gets so golden and stretchy that people will stand over the pan pulling cheese strings before it even reaches the table.
- It uses simple pantry ingredients but tastes like you spent far more time than fifty five minutes on it.
- Leftovers reheat beautifully which means lunch the next day is something you actually look forward to.
02 -
- Undercooking the pasta by one minute is not optional because it absorbs sauce while baking and overcooked pasta turns the whole dish gummy.
- Grating your own Parmesan from a block instead of using the green can completely changes how smooth your sauce turns out.
03 -
- A pinch of nutmeg seems strange in a savory dish but it is the reason restaurant Alfredo sauces taste different from homemade ones.
- Letting the bake rest for the full five minutes before cutting into it allows the sauce to thicken slightly which makes serving much neater.