Chicken Alfredo Bake
Rich, creamy and absolutely delicious, you would never guess this came out of your freezer! Making your own chicken alfredo bake is easier than you think!
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
INGREDIENTS
- 16 ounces penne rigata pasta
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 4 cups heavy whipping 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 9×13 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
NUTRITION
I came across the recipe and thought it sounded wonderful! We went on a bachelorette trip and wanted something easy to throw in the oven for the first night after a long day of travel and decorating. I made this the day before, froze it, and went 4 hours in a car with it. It was AMAZING. I had to send the recipe to all the girls.
I had no issue with separation. I think the biggest thing was I let it cool completely. I mean slap near to cold before I froze and I wrapped it tight with foil and then put the lid that comes with the aluminum throw over pans over it.
I even had to adjust the recipe a little as heavy whipping cream is a nightmare to find. I used half and half the first time on the trip and tonight as I’m making it I used whole milk. I just thickened it up with a little extra flour and cheese.
Thanks for an awesome recipe that I’ll be making nonstop!!
I am somewhat of an alfredo sauce connoisseur, however I usually don’t add mozzarella or cream cheese. I know to ALWAYS use a parmesan block and to grate it myself, but is that the same case for mozzarella? Should I buy fresh or pre-grated?
Freshly grated will usually work best, but pre-shredded will work. Sometimes the additives (corn starch and such) in pre-shredded can mess with the sauce a bit and may be why some have success reheating and others don’t.
My friend made this yesterday!! It is definitely the best I have ever had. she kept it seperate so we could add what we wanted to re: chicken and Brocolli………. it served 10 hungry adults with a tad bit left over……….. its also good to dip garlic bread in the sauce.. thanksssssssssss from all of us!
Yay!! I’m so glad everyone liked it!!
Can the recipe be made earlier in the day and stored in the refrigerator till baking later that evening? If so, assume let sit 30 min prior to baking OR adjust longer bake time?
When do you add the second cup of parm in? Ingredients say 2 cups but instructions never state when to add the second cup only the first cup.
The second cup of Parmesan cheese gets sprinkled on top once the mixture is poured into the baking dish (see step 7 in the recipe card).
If i am making this immediately and not freezing, how long does it go in the oven for? just long enough for the cheese to melt?
I usually cook for the full 20 minutes even if I’m making it from scratch right then. You can go shorter, just make sure the center is heated through and the cheese is melted.