A true dump-and-bake-style meal, this no-boil chicken alfredo pasta bake will quickly become your go-to easy dinner meal!
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This recipe is…
I love the convenience of a true one-dish meal, and this no-boil chicken alfredo pasta bake is no exception. You get the creaminess of alfredo pasta without having to bring out a single pot. That’s right, this entire dish is made in a casserole dish in the oven, no pots or boiling water necessary! It’s a hearty and flavorful meal packed with protein from the chicken and umami flavor and texture from the mushrooms, all married together in a super creamy alfredo sauce. And the best part is how easy it comes together!
If you’re looking for a compilation of our best recipes that work really similarly to this one, check out our 5 Best No Boil Pasta Bake recipes.
Alfredo Pasta Bake Ingredients
- 12 ounces of penne pasta
- 30 ounces of alfredo sauce
- 1 ½ cups of chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 1 ½ pounds of chicken breast
- 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon of Balanced Bites Italian Blend (or 1 tablespoon italian seasoning + 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- ½ teaspoon of pepper
- Parmesan cheese, for garnish
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
Best Store-Bought Alfredo Sauce
The best alfredo sauce for baked chicken alfredo is whichever sauce is your favorite! Truly, any alfredo sauce will do, so go with what you like. We love Rao’s for the quality of its ingredients.
How to Make
As promised, the process to make this chicken alfredo bake is the easiest! Here’s how you’ll make it:
- Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Season the chicken. Cube your chicken into approximately 1” pieces and season it with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Prep the pasta. To a 9×13 casserole dish, add the pasta, alfredo sauce, chicken broth, and lemon juice. Stir to combine, then add the chicken and mushrooms and give the ingredients one more stir to ensure everything is well incorporated.
- Cover and bake. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- Garnish. Remove the foil carefully, the steam will be hot! It may look like a lot of liquid, but the alfredo will set after a few minutes. Top with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.
- Serve and enjoy!
How to Store
To store your chicken alfredo bake, let the dish cool completely, then cover the dish or transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Recipe Tips for Making Ahead
Prep the chicken. Cube and season your chicken ahead of time and store in a covered container in the fridge.
Measure your ingredients. Measure out your chicken broth, lemon juice, and spices, then store them together so they are ready to go.
Recipe Variations
This recipe is delicious as written, but there are certainly tasty ways to switch things up. Here are some ideas:
- Make it gluten-free. Use a gluten-free pasta (we used this one) and alfredo sauce (check the label – not all alfredo sauces are gluten-free!) to make this chicken alfredo bake gluten-free.
- Make it dairy-free. Omit the parmesan cheese and substitute a dairy-free alfredo sauce to make this dish dairy-free (we promise it’s just as tasty!).
- Sub the mushrooms. If you’re not a mushroom fan or prefer a different vegetable, you could substitute some hearty broccoli florets. Sun-dried tomatoes would also be a tasty addition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! The steam created from covering the dish while baking is what helps the pasta cook, so you’ll definitely want to cover your chicken alfredo while baking.
Yes! In fact, all of the cooking in this recipe happens in the oven.
While fettuccine is probably the most common pasta associated with alfredo, this recipe will work with a lot of different kinds of pasta. We used penne pasta, but you could substitute fusilli, farfalle, or caserrece.
Since alfredo sauce is typically made with parmesan and romano cheeses, we find that fresh parmesan or a parmesan blend is the best addition!
More Favorite Pasta Recipes
No-Boil Chicken Alfredo Bake
Ingredients
- 12 ounces penne pasta
- 30 ounces Alfredo sauce
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breast cubed
- 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 1 tablespoon Balanced Bites Italian Blend (or 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning + 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- Parmesan cheese for garnish
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Cube your chicken into approximately 1” pieces and season with the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- To a 9×13 casserole dish, add the pasta, alfredo sauce, chicken broth, and lemon juice. Stir to combine, then add the chicken and mushrooms and give the ingredients one more stir to ensure everything is well incorporated.
- Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove the foil carefully, the steam will be hot! It may look like a lot of liquid, but the alfredo will set up after a few minutes. Top with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.
- Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Make it gluten-free. Use a gluten-free pasta (we used this one) and alfredo sauce (make sure to check the label, we were surprised to find that most alfredo sauces we found were gluten-free) to make this chicken alfredo bake gluten free.
- Make it dairy-free. Omit the parmesan cheese and substitute a dairy-free alfredo sauce to make this dish dairy-free (we promise it’s just as tasty!).
- Make it vegetarian. Simply omit the chicken if you prefer a vegetarian meal.
- Sub the mushrooms. If you’re not a mushroom fan or prefer a different vegetable, you could substitute some hearty broccoli florets. Sun-dried tomatoes would also be a tasty addition.
Nutrition
delicious! I had the same problem as others but realized I had preheated the oven to only 350 instead of 400! I cooked it longer this time to get it done. next time, I’ll follow the instructions better. haha!
Awe yay! We are so happy you enjoyed it!
How would you modify the cook time for whole grain pasta?
Hi Rachel! Great question! We haven’t tried using whole grain pasta, but I imagine it will cook just the same! Please let us know if you try it and your thoughts!
Hi! I have made this recipe before with great success. It’s equally good with marinara sauce as a 1:1 sub. I have it on my meal plan for this week but due to some scheduling issues, wondering if I can prep it the night before and then have my husband pop it in the oven the next afternoon? I’m worried that the pasta (will use Jovial) will sit there and absorb liquid, yet not cook. Maybe it would be better to prep everything and have him mix the pasta in at the last minute. Suggestions appreciated.
I tried it!! I just mixed everything up the night before and had my husband put itin the oven to bake thenext afternoon and it was not mushy or hard, it was basically just as good as usual.
Love the meal planning!!!!;)
We are so happy y’all enjoyed it!
What a fantastic recipe! Easy to make, but could be served at an eloquent dinner!.
So true, Fred! We are so happy you enjoyed it!
Taste was fabulous, but I agree with several others. 40 minutes was not long enough for my chicken. Pulled it out and stirred only to find still pink chicken Had to go in for another 20 minutes and then sit for 20 after that!
I really like this recipe. I make sure to use Raos Alfredo Sauce. I have not run into issues with the pasta or chicken cooking through like in some other comments. The only thing I can suggest is to make sure the foil is tight and slightly creased around the edges to ensure a good seal for steaming.
Thank you so much for sharing this, Chelsea! Such a great point on the foil! We are so happy you enjoyed it!
just finished baking, turned out perfect. I cubed rotisserie chicken, frozen spinach, & shallots. I have not tasted yet, it smells delicious, cannot wait to try it! I mixed water & butter for Italian dressing, as I was out. Also, did not have oregano so I used 2 drops of oregano essential oil. Thank you for sharing your recipes!
That sounds delicious, Helen!!
Like others, 40 mins was not long enough to bake. But I will say I used fusilli pasta- tight cork screw shape. Maybe that’s the cause? A more open tube like manicotti or the original recipe penne. Mine took an hour to cook the pasta. I used shredded rotisserie chicken so no worries there. Flavor was good- I’ll make again but will start in time for a 60 min bake.