Creamy Chicken Alfredo Casserole (Printable)

Tender chicken combined with silky Alfredo sauce and gooey mozzarella in a comforting baked pasta dish.

# 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

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
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 saucepan and bring to gentle simmer. Add Parmesan, 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 - Pour pasta mixture into prepared baking dish. Top evenly with shredded mozzarella.
07 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until cheese is bubbling and golden brown.
08 - Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Everything bakes together in one dish, so you're not juggling multiple pans while trying to get dinner on the table.
  • The creamy Alfredo sauce clings to every piece of pasta and soaks into the chicken, creating pockets of flavor in every bite.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully, and somehow taste even richer the next day when the flavors have melted together overnight.
02 -
  • Undercook your pasta by a full minute because it continues cooking in the oven, and mushy pasta ruins the whole texture of this dish.
  • Use freshly grated Parmesan instead of the pre-shredded kind, which has anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly into the sauce.
  • Don't skip the resting time after baking, or your first scoop will be a soupy mess and the sauce won't have time to cling to the pasta properly.
03 -
  • Grate your own mozzarella from a block instead of buying pre-shredded, it melts smoother and doesn't have that weird waxy coating.
  • If your sauce looks too thick before baking, stir in a splash of pasta water to loosen it up, because it will thicken more as it bakes.
  • Let the casserole cool for 5 minutes before serving so the cheese sets slightly and you get clean, beautiful scoops instead of a runny mess.
Return