Freezer Meal: Chicken Alfredo Bake
This Chicken Alfredo Bake recipe is for my sister.
Who called me one night asking if I possibly had a chicken alfredo recipe I could share with her because she and her family were loving the alfredo bake from Costco, but they were certainly not loving the price.
And when you go through a tray of that stuff every night or so, it tends to get rather expensive really quickly!
Now, full disclosure, I’ve actually never tried the chicken alfredo from Costco. Mostly because dairy and I are not friends. And anything drenched in white creamy sauce, no matter HOW rich and delicious, is bound to cause me some grief. (My poor kids have inherited the allergy as well.)
So I generally avoid the stuff. You know, self-preservation and all…
But as the amazing and loving and awesome sister that I am, I just couldn’t ignore her plea for help! I mean, come on, she’s family!! 🙂
So I pulled out a couple alfredo sauce recipes I had, and started tweaking.
I did, of course, take one for the team, so to speak, and spend plenty of time tasting this one, despite the ramifications on my digestive tract.
And it pains me that it is not something I could eat regularly – curse you dairy allergy!
But I most certainly would eat it frequently if I could.
It’s good, people. Like REALLY good!
I’m not going to lie. This stuff is RICH!
Like probably close to “heart attack on a plate” rich.
But oh my goodness, does it taste absolutely divine!!! And best of all, you can make it ahead of time and keep it in your freezer!
Add Flavor to Your Chicken Alfredo Bake
I recommend using grilled chicken for this – it adds an amazing depth of flavor!
My favorite is chicken that has been grilled and seasoned with Weber’s Kick’n Chicken seasoning.
Despite the name, it is not spicy. But it IS delicious!
I just ran out of my last bottle of the stuff, and the store was out as well. So now I’m on a mission to recreate it and make my own.
Hopefully that will happen sooner rather than later.
Freezing & Serving Options
The recipe makes a fairly large batch, enough for a large casserole dish.
But if you’ve got a smaller family, you can split this in two – make half for dinner and freeze the other half in a smaller dish and have a second meal ready to go.
Or use it for two separate freezer meals.
You could even freeze this in individual dinner portions for meal prep purposes.
The components are all fully cooked before freezing, so you could put this into individual containers and then just microwave it for lunch or a quick dinner.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go dream of eating Chicken Alfredo Bake while I go nibble on my dairy-free salad, which it not nearly as satisfying but definitely easier on my insides. 😉
Chicken Alfredo Bake
Rich, creamy and delicious, you will never guess this came out of your freezer!
Ingredients
- 16 ounces penne rigata pasta
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 4 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt (optional, see Notes)
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
- chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare pasta per package directions, to the al dente stage. (Pasta will cook further in the oven, so do not overcook.)
- While pasta is cooking, melt butter in large saucepan or dutch oven on stove top over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the flour and whisk. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the garlic, cream, garlic salt (if using, see Notes below), salt, pepper and 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine and melt cheese.
- Allow sauce to simmer for 8-10 minutes until thickened, stirring frequently to avoid burning or scorching. Once thickened, remove from heat.
- Add in mozzarella and cream cheese and stir to combine and allow cheese to melt. Add additional salt to taste (if needed).
- Drain pasta then place back in pot. Pour in sauce and diced chicken to pasta and stir to combine.
- Pour pasta and sauce mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
To freeze:
- Allow to cool. Cover and label, then place in freezer. (You may want to use a disposable aluminum pan for the freezer.)
- When ready to use, remove from freezer the night before and allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
To bake:
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes, until top begins to brown slightly and sauce is bubbly. Remove from oven, garnish with parsley (if desired) and serve.
Notes
I like to use grilled chicken in this recipe when possible, as it adds a subtle extra layer of flavor.
AND, if you don't mind garlic, up your minced garlic to 1 1/2 tablespoons and add 1 teaspoon garlic salt - delicioso!!
Recipe updated September 29, 2019, with addition of flour. The flour, while not traditional to an alfredo sauce, has been added to help the sauce freeze and reheat without separating. If making this dish to eat immediately, you may omit the flour.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 849Total Fat: 66gSaturated Fat: 41gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 234mgSodium: 760mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 35g
Nutrition information provided as an estimate only.
Jenny from jennyisbaking.com says
Four cups of heavy cream AND cream cheese AND mozzarella AND parmesan, yeah, you dare say it is rich. I am sure it tastes great!
Just one question though, how many people would this serve? 5-6 as a main course? You only mention that the casserole dish is big, but not how big…
Candi says
Hmm, on the recipe plugin I filled out the info for the servings, but it isn’t showing anywhere on the recipe…is it doing that for all my recipes?? Thanks for pointing that out – I’ll have to see what I can do to fix that! Serving size should say feeds 6-8 people. In the photos I’ve used a baking dish that is just slightly larger than a 9×13 inch dish (standard rectangle size baking dish in the US, equivalent to about 3 quarts I think). But that has me wondering – is there a standard size or name for a similar baking dish in Europe? I’m guessing you don’t call them 9×13’s (“nine by thirteens”) like we do here, right? Sometimes we just call them a “casserole dish” or “lasagna dish”, or a “baker”. But what would the equivalent be for Europe?
Jana i Blowers says
Hi! i was just curious do we have to freeze it before baking
Candi says
Nope! You can make it and then immediately bake it to eat. 🙂
cheyenne says
Is there any way I could make it without the cream cheese or what to substitute it with?
Candi says
Yes! You can just leave the cream cheese out. It adds a little bit of tang and some extra creaminess to the sauce, but it is not fundamental to the recipe, so it can just be left out if you want.
Shaquay says
I like this food. I want trying it
Noreen Zullo says
This is the 2nd time making this and first time I made it and baked immediately and it was excellent. I just made again but this time I made it one day, refrigerated it, and baked it it the following day and it separated! Couldn’t eat it!
Candi says
Oh no! That is really frustrating! 🙁 Would you mind giving me some additional information so I can better troubleshoot? Did the recipe you worked from include the olive oil? There were several others who had something similar happen and so I updated the recipe a few weeks ago to remove the oil which was causing the separation. Did you make the version with or without the olive oil?
Darlene says
Made this tonight was very good I also double the sauce next time I think I’ll add some cooked broccoli
Candi says
I’m glad you liked it Darlene! Adding cooked broccoli would be awesome!!
Laurie says
Try replacing some of the cream with evaporated milk. It keeps cheese sauce from separating.
Candi says
That’s a great suggestion – thank you!! Going on the list to try out next time I make it. 👍🏻
AJ says
I’m making this for a coworker today whose having a double mastectomy next week. How much evaporated milk would you suggest to freeze and thaw/cook a few days later?
Candi says
I’ve never tried making it with evaporated milk, so I’m afraid I can’t reliably answer this one. If you’re looking to use the evaporated milk as a substitute for the heavy cream, I think the substitution is usually 1:1. You might want to start with a little less than that, just to check consistency, and then add more in if needed.
Cecile Branon says
Can I use fettuccine noodles instead of Penne noodles?
Making this for a rehearsal dinner. Hoping to do it one day ahead. I see the comments of upgrading the recipe to not use olive oil. Are there any more updates??
Candi says
Yes, you can absolutely use fettuccine noodles in place of the penne.
I updated the recipe this weekend after testing several batches. The newest version should be live on the site – you should see the addition of 2 Tbsp of flour and a change to the reheating temp (from 400 down to 350). Also a note on the bottom showing an update date of September 29, 2019, and a comment about upping the garlic and adding garlic salt (optional but I liked the flavor it added). If not give me a holler – I have flushed the cache for the site but you might also have to refresh your browser to see the changes.
I made several batches of the new sauce recipe last week and used one of the test batches to make the full meal. I made it about 8am and kept it in the refrigerator until about 5pm, then reheated for dinner and we had no separation issues.
My husband reheated the leftovers a couple times in the microwave over the next few days and we also had no separation of the sauce. So hopefully we’ve now got a workable recipe!! I’m going to make it again a couple times this week, including from frozen, just to keep testing. Absolutely let me know if you use the new recipe and how it turns out!!
Leigh says
How much garlic salt? It is in the instructions but not the list of ingredients. Thanks.
Candi says
1 teaspoon – it’s mentioned in the notes as an optional ingredient. I’ll go in to the instructions and make that clearer. Thanks for pointing that out!
Amanda says
Do you make the chicken ahead of time or let it cook in oven?
Candi says
In the recipe I call for already cooked and diced chicken (so you’d need to pre-cook the chicken). You could use shredded chicken from a rotisserie chicken. If you increase the cook time you could try using raw chicken and then let it cook in the dish, but you’ll need to watch to make sure the sauce and cheese don’t burn and you’ll want to check the chicken temperature to make sure it hits 165 to be safe to eat.
Kristie says
This recipe is a family favorite! Love it – thank you so much!!
Candi says
I’m so glad your family likes it! 🙂
Erica says
Made this tonight for my family, and in-laws. Huge hit!! Adding this to my list of family favorite recipes. Thank you!
Candi says
I’m so glad you like it!! It’s one I like to pull out for company, too.
Jamie says
Could I substitute whole milk for the heavy cream?
Candi says
Certainly! Depending on how thick you like your sauce, you might want to use slightly less milk than what is called for with the heavy cream, since the milk is thinner and will make for a slightly thinner sauce.
Kirsten Shrout Fernandes says
Can I cook it completely and then freeze or would that not work? Trying to make it for a friend who needs some easy to grab and heat up meals…
Candi says
Yes, you could bake it first (to melt the cheese – everything else is already cooked) and then freeze. As a large casserole, reheating will take some time though, even if you previously baked it first before freezing, so if you need something that is easy to grab and reheat in something like the microwave, I would suggest portioning the Chicken Alfredo Bake into individual containers before freezing. Then your friend could pull one portion out and reheat in the microwave if needed.
Katie says
Wow this was so good.. made it tonight! Instead of just the cheese on top I added Italian breadcrumbs, butter, paprika and the Parmesan for a crunch. Also added broccoli… really good!
Candi says
That sounds absolutely divine!!! I love all these creative ideas for dressing it up!
CL says
My family loved it but when we went back for seconds, it began to separate. I was hoping this would be a recipe I could make for a buffet and keep it warming in a chafing dish. Any advice?
Candi says
Did you include the flour in your sauce?
CL says
Yes I did. I’m so puzzled
Candi says
Me too! I’ve had a couple people test the modified recipe and none have reported any separating. And I didn’t have any separating on my test batches whether frozen or refrigerated. I even nuked that stuff in the microwave (a sure-fire way to get it to separate) and it stayed together…Hmm, I’ll have to think on this one a bit and do some more research.
Kelli says
Do you grate your own Parmesan? Sometimes prepackaged cheeses that are preshredded don’t combine and melt as well.
CL says
No I did not grate my own. That must be it. I’m going to make it for the event and this time I will shred my own. If it does separate gain, I’m not going to care because it tastes soooo good. I cooked the one that I froze this morning to see how it would come out after freezing. There was a lot of butter on the bottom so I might adjust that but it tastes so good I could eat the whole thing!!
Candi says
You could also try adding another tablespoon of flour…I’ve only tested with 2 T, but if it is still separating like that it might need more flour. Definitely keep me posted!
Sheeznoangel says
Pre-grated cheese is coated with cornstarch to keep the shreds from sticking together in the package. This very well may be the issue.
Chris says
This is the best meal I’ve ever made. Added some basil to the top while it was baking. Fantabulous. Thank you!!!
Candi says
I’m so glad that you liked it! 🙂
Jennifer Clairday says
I was looking up any Alfredo bake recipe and thankfully chose yours. I like to experiment and do it my way but need a little pointers I will unfortunately not be eating this one. The commentary at the beginning had me in stitches and I thank you for making my gloomy day brighter.
Candi says
Thanks! It’s nice to know someone appreciates my humor. My kids certainly don’t…I think I can be pretty funny sometimes, but they just give me blank stares… 😉
Charlie says
My son and I made…it was great till I took leftovers to work. I microwaved the dish and it separated! bummer. I even added the flour not reading ahead that it’s only needed if your freezing it. I won’t make it again????
Candi says
I’m so sorry! When I tested this recipe, I tried several methods of reheating, and even with microwaving I did not get the sauce to separate. However, alfredo sauce is finicky and prone to break down like that, especially when reheated. I would say that you could try doubling the amount of flour used in the sauce, to help stabilize it. I haven’t tried it though. I understand your frustration and not wanting to make it again. I will see if I can keep working on the sauce recipe and possible options for better stabilizers.
Leslie says
Hi. I mistakenly bought grated Parmesan instead of shredded. Is it O.K. to use the grated? If so, do I still use 2 cups? Thank you!
Candi says
I’m not entirely sure. Technically it should probably work to a degree, but it might not melt quite the same way, so the sauce may end up a little wonky. Or you may just need to adjust the liquid ratio to get it to a consistency that you like. And some of it will depend on what additives are included in the brand of grated Parmesan you have (the non-caking additives will cause the sauce to be off a bit and prevent the cheese from melting like normal). If you’re feeling adventurous, go ahead and give it a try, and if you do, let me know how it goes!
Maggie says
This was absolutely AMAZING! I don’t care for Alfredo but I can eat this whole tray by myself. Thank you so much for sharing. This will be in our regular circulation!
Candi says
Thank you! I’m so glad you like it!!
Claire P. says
Hi Candi! I was thinking about adding some panko bread crumbs to the top for a little crunchy texture. Do you think this is a good idea? Just wanted your thoughts. Thanks!
Candi says
Definitely yes! Someone on Pinterest commented on the pin that they had added bread crumbs to the top and that it was delicious! Plus it looked super yummy in the pic they posted, too!
Marty Brewer says
If not freezing this, do I omit the flour AND the butter?
Candi says
The original version calls for the butter. The flour was added to help stabilize the sauce for freezing as readers were getting inconsistent results with the sauce separating. I haven’t tried it with reducing the butter, but you could. The butter is there for sautéing the garlic and to add depth to the flavor profile. But it’s not necessary to keep it in if not making the flour roux. I’ve had a couple of readers tell me their sauce has separated upon cooling or reheating and I’m thinking it may have to do with the butter, so feel free to play with that and reduce the amount. I’ll try some additional testing with less butter and update.
Brandy says
How much is a serving size?
Candi says
Nutrition was calculated based on 8 servings. I believe that ends up with a serving being about 1 1/2 – 2 cups worth.
Donna says
Bake it in your crockpot liner to take to potluck.
Candi says
What an excellent idea!!! Thanks for sharing – that is an awesome suggestion!
Amy says
How long and on high or low? Did you freeze it prior?
Candi says
You should be able to bake it in the oven in the crockery liner of your slow cooker (double check to make sure it is safe to use at oven temps). Most should be safe for you to freeze it in, too, if needed, although I would probably suggest freezing in a ziptop bag rather than the crock pot liner, just out of safety and to save freezer space. You can then pour the contents into the liner after thawing and bake, then place in your slow cooker on keep warm to take to functions. You could also cook it in your slow cooker – the items are all pre-cooked, so LOW for a few hours would be fine. Then broil in the oven for a few minutes if desired before serving.
Lois says
Amount of garlic salt? Thanks!
Candi says
Increase your minced garlic to 1 1/2 tablespoons and add 1 teaspoon garlic salt – it is super yummy!
Roxanne weiner says
Can I make this with milk instead of heavy cream?
Candi says
Yes! 👍🏻
Amanda says
I’m going to multiply this by 5 and put in a big roaster. What do you think I should do for the baking time?
Candi says
There are a lot of factors that would go into baking time in something like that. My roaster doesn’t heat from the bottom – only the sides (I haven’t checked to see if it is a defect or intentional yet), so time in my roaster would be different from one that heats on the bottom and sides. My concern in doing it in a roaster is the risk that the sheer amount of food may lead to the sides burning before the center is fully heated. The ingredients are all pre-cooked, so the baking is really to just make sure everything is thoroughly heated and then melt the cheeses and brown the top. I’m afraid I haven’t ever attempted to make it this way, so I’m unsure on what would be a good estimate for time. You may need to do a little trial and error, including perhaps going with a lower temp for a longer time to avoid burning. Another option might be to put it in a couple smaller baking pans and bake them in the oven (without the top cheese layer), and then combine them in the roaster and add the top layer of cheese and give it some time to melt and basically then keep it on warm. I’m intrigued by this and definitely would like to know how it turns out and what you find that works for time/temp in the roaster!
Debi says
I’ve made this twice and love it. I added crumbled bacon, because who doesn’t like bacon!
Candi says
Awesome addition! I bet it tasted AMAZING! I’ll have to add that in to the post as an option. 🙂
Tamika Dixon says
Made it with my 9 year old daughter. Easy to follow directions and the result was rich, creamy and yummy. Next time I make it, I will alter it to make it a little healthier. But definitely a yummy dish for the family !
Candi says
I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
Robin says
This is the 3rd time I’ve made this dish. The first time I made it, I cooked and ate it the same day. The second and third time I made it, I refrigerated it a day ahead of cooking it, when I took it out of the oven, the pasta was literally sitting in an inch of melted butter. Really ruined the dish. Thoughts?
Candi says
Well that is super frustrating! I’m so sorry!! It sounds like the sauce “broke”…but the cause could be a couple of things. The flour in the sauce should prevent the sauce from breaking. If it cooled too fast or was put into the fridge while still too warm that could cause it. The type of cheese used (pre-shredded vs. shredding your own) can sometimes cause it (with the extra additives or anti-caking ingredients in the pre-shredded cheese). I tested the recipe multiple times and even refrigerated and froze the sauce separately and still couldn’t get mine to break so I thought it was good to go, but obviously there are still some issues if this happened to you. I’ll see what I can come up with that might help. Again, I’m so sorry – that is incredibly frustrating to have a meal fail like that and waste all that time and those ingredients. 🙁
Amanda says
Does this recipe have to thaw in the fridge overnight or can you bake from frozen? Thanks!
Candi says
I usually thaw in the fridge first. But you can go right from frozen (it will take about 60-90 minutes). I’ve tried it once or twice without issues, but some have reported problems with the sauce breaking when going straight from frozen. If you’d like to try, I would recommend doing a smaller portion or just one casserole first to try it out. Put it in the oven covered at 350 Fahrenheit for about 40-60 minutes. Then uncover and cook as directed (350F UNCOVERED for another 20-25 minutes).
Christina says
Wow! So rich! So creamy! So good! I have 2 teenage boys and a husband who loves to say he was a THIN good looking man before he met me🤷♀️ so this dish was gone in minutes! Definitely adding it to our regular menu! Thanks a bunch!
Candi says
I’m so glad you guys liked it! 🙂
Ashley says
I’ve made your recipe several times and love it! My husband raves about it which is a huge plus!
I’m curious how it would taste with garlic sautéed shrimp in place of chicken?
Candi says
I’m so glad you guys like it!! And garlic sauteed shrimp would taste AMAZING in this! 😉 One of the Pinterest pins for this recipe has a bunch of comments on Pinterest where people have substituted shrimp in here with rave results, so I definitely say go for it and give it a try!
Luna Regina says
Chicken alfredo is a classic that you can’t go wrong with! I love this baked rendition.
Bridgette says
Ridiculous yummy decadent recipe! Easy to follow and even better to eat! Woooooooo! Grilled our chicken! I can’t say enough about this recipe! Thank you!
Candi says
I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
Wendy says
I made this dish Lactose free. Used Lactose free milk for the heavy cream. Used cheddar cheese instead of mozzarella, and Lactose free cream cheese (i.e. Tofutti cream cheese). It was very good! As good for me as the Costco version, and I didn’t have to take a bunch of lactose tablets!
Candi says
That is fabulous! Thank you for sharing your modifications and results! This will be a great option for others to use as well who may want or need to make this lactose-free. 🙂
Christina says
Do chicken thighs work instead of chicken breasts or are chicken breasts the best? (We have thighs in our freezer.)
Candi says
Sure! I prefer boneless skinless chicken breasts, but chicken thighs would work just fine too! I find that they don’t “dice” as well, so they would be more shredded, but it would still taste great!
Edward N says
This was my first time making this dish. I refrigerated and baked the next day for dinner. The sauce separated. The butter was on the bottom of the dish. We still ate the dish and it was good but the next time I will make, bake and serve the same day.
Candi says
I’m so sorry! I know a few people have said the sauce has separated on them, but I haven’t had that happen when I tested (and re-tested) the recipe. There must be another variable that I am missing – back to the drawing board for further testing!! Thanks for letting me know you ran into problems – I’ll try my best to fix this.
Donna says
Made this today for lunch! I was excited at how yummy it is and makes a lot!! I had a big crowd and it went a long way!
Becky B. says
This looks delicious! I’m lanning to make 8 of these for our mother/ daughter banquet. I’m freezing ahead, but I have a question. After thawing, do I bake with the lid on or off? Thank you in advance!
Candi says
If you’re baking from thawed, then bake as normal according to the instructions (uncovered). I would also encourage you to test one out first before making 8 (if time allows), just to make sure it turns out how you like it. While I haven’t had problems and have tested freezing the sauce quite a bit, there are still occasionally some who find that it separates a bit on them after freezing and we haven’t been able to fully narrow down what may be causing it. It happens to some folks but not to others. There are a lot of variables that could factor in, as even just the brand of shredded cheese may be enough of a difference, or using pre-shredded vs. stuff you shred yourself, the water content of the butter used, etc. I just don’t want you to make 8 only to find that something doesn’t work right and then it ruins your banquet.
anicca a says
hi i am planning to make this dish tonight. just one question, (i’m pretty new to cooking, i’m only 20 lol) if i use another recipe to make grilled chicken breast’s then put them in this pasta bake, will it over cook the chicken? i guess i’m wondering if i should take them out of the air fryer before they are all the way cooked.
Candi says
You can go ahead and fully cook them in the air fryer, then use them in the pasta bake. 👍🏻
Amanda Lower says
My family and I absolutely love this recipe, and I’ve made several times for dinner guests who all loved it as well. However, in October 2020 I was diagnosed with a dairy allergy (and 7 other most common allergies). I’ve had more success than failures at using allergy-friendly substitutions in my favorite recipes, so on Sunday I will be making this recipe using oatmilk, miyoko’s cheddar cheese (oatmilk base), daiya cream cheese, gluten free flour, and gluten free noodles. Fingers crossed it tastes delicious, but I will definitely share the results. Thank you for this delicious recipe!