Chicken Alfredo Bake
Rich, creamy and delicious, you will never guess this came out of your freezer!
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Total Time40 minutes mins
Course: Freezer Meal Recipes
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: baked chicken alfredo, chicken alfredo, Freezer Meal, freezer meals, make ahead chicken alfredo
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 849kcal
Author: Make-Ahead Meal Mom
- 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)
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.
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.
Serving: 1g | Calories: 849kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 66g | Saturated Fat: 41g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 234mg | Sodium: 760mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g