If you like pasta and cheese, well, you’ve come to the right place! Cheesy Chicken Alfredo Bake melds your beloveds together with some flavorful chicken to create an excitedly hearty take on one of your favorite Italian dishes. It’s all made from scratch, but it’s a breeze to make, so you can rest assured you can enjoy your favorite foods whenever you please! So, when your taste buds start exclaiming “cheese and noodles, please,” you know you can always turn to this Cheesy Chicken Alfredo Bake! It’ll satisfy every craving, every time!
Ingredients
For the pasta and chicken:
- 1 (12-ounce) package penne pasta
- vegetable oil, to taste
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, sliced in half, optionally marinated in Italian dressing
For the Alfredo sauce:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups half-and-half
- 3 cups milk
- 3 cups Italian cheese blend, shredded, divided
- pepper, to taste
Directions
Step 1 –In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta to al dente, according to the package directions. Drain the pasta.
Step 2 –Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Step 3 –In a bowl, mix the salt, the pepper, the thyme, and the poultry seasoning.
Step 4 –Rub the spice mixture over all sides of the chicken halves.
Step 5 –Add the chicken halves to the hot oil and cook on both sides until they reach an internal temperature of 165, about 15-20 minutes.
Step 6 –Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool.
Step 7 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 8 –Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
Step 9 –In a separate large skillet, melt the butter.
Step 10 –Add the garlic to the melted butter and cook, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 11 –Whisk the flour into the butter mixture and stir until bubbly.
Step 12 –Add the half-and-half and the milk into the butter mixture and stir to combine.
Step 13 –Bring the sauce mixture to a boil.
Step 14 –Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce mixture for 5 minutes.
Step 15 –Whisk 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese into the sauce mixture and cook until it starts to thicken.
Step 16 –Transfer the sauce from the heat.
Step 17 –Cut the cooked chicken into bite-size pieces and add them to a large bowl.
Step 18 –Add the cooked pasta to the chicken and top with the sauce. Mix to combine.
Step 19 –Add the pasta-chicken mixture to the prepared pan and sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese.
Step 20 –Sprinkle the bake with the pepper.
Step 21 –Bake the Alfredo bake until bubbly and golden-brown, about 30 minutes.
Step 22 –Serve.
