This Chicken Alfredo Casserole is a delicious, comfort food that the entire family will enjoy. You don't even have to boil the pasta! With a jar of alfredo sauce and a rotisserie chicken, this Dump and Bake dish is one of the easiest meals you'll ever make!
Be sure to try our Quick And Easy Dump And Bake Meatball Casserole.
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- Dump and Bake Chicken Alfredo Casserole Recipe
- What Is A Dump and Bake Recipe?
- Ingredients Needed
- How To Make Chicken Alfredo Casserole (Dump and Bake Style)
- Changes and Substitution Ideas
- How To Store Leftovers
- Serving Suggestions
- Recipe Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Pasta Recipes
- Recipe
- Dump and Bake Chicken Alfredo Casserole
- 💬 Comments
Dump and Bake Chicken Alfredo Casserole Recipe
Make my newest dump and bake dish, Chicken Alfredo dish, if your family enjoys the traditional flavors of chicken, alfredo sauce, and cheese.
Yes, you literally "dump" all the ingredients into a baking dish, stir them thoroughly, and then bake them. The oven does all the work after the prep period of no more than five minutes (guarantee). Your lunch will taste like you worked for hours on end because it is creamy, cheesy, and incredibly delicious.
We cherish my Creamy Greek Yogurt Alfredo Pasta Sauce or this Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli And Rice Casserole for additional simple dinner suggestions.
What Is A Dump and Bake Recipe?
In a dump and bake recipe, all the ingredients are thrown into a skillet pan, slow cooker, sheet pan, or casserole dish, and everything is cooked together until it's done.
For hectic weeknights when you need dinner on the table with minimal preparation, dump and bake recipes are perfect. All of the ingredients are simply thrown into a 9 x 13 baking pan and left to cook. No need for knives, cutting boards, dishes, or cookware. All you need is a casserole dish and a stirring tool.
This Quick And Easy Dump And Bake Meatball Casserole is one of my family's favorite dinners ever and is a crockpot dump and go meal.
Ingredients Needed
This basic dish calls for only a few ingredients. Here are the major items you'll need:
- Penne Pasta - Uncooked pasta is placed into the casserole dish. There is no need to cook the paste first.
- Alfredo Sauce - Combine two jars of your favorite alfredo sauce. I prefer the Bertolli brand (cheaper option), but Rao's brand (far more costly option) is also excellent if you can afford it! Use two of the same kind, or mix it up. I prefer to use one jar of alfredo sauce and one jar of roasted garlic alfredo sauce (or anything other).
- For this recipe, I recommend using full-salted chicken stock or broth. The tasteless spaghetti requires some salt and flavor.
- Cooked Shredded Chicken - This is an excellent way to use rotisserie chicken. Alternatively, use leftover chicken from another dinner or place some frozen chicken breasts in a slow cooker or instant pot with a can of chicken broth.
- Fresh Broccoli - One head of broccoli will yield the required 2 cups. Cut broccoli into tiny florets.
- Italian Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Kosher Salt, and Black Pepper are the dried seasonings needed.
- Shredded Mozzarella or Italian Blend Cheese.
How To Make Chicken Alfredo Casserole (Dump and Bake Style)
- Turn the oven on to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Using cooking spray, prepare a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Fill the prepared casserole dish with the pasta, alfredo sauce, chicken stock, chicken, broccoli, and dried seasonings. Stir to mix thoroughly.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes after covering the pan with foil. Halfway through the cooking period, remove the pan's lid and give it a nice stir. After replacing the foil, continue cooking.
- Take the casserole out of the oven and top it with the cheese once the pasta is as soft as you like. To allow it to melt, place it back in the oven or under a broiler for a few minutes.
Changes and Substitution Ideas
- Pasta: For this recipe, use any paste with a comparable form. Rotini pasta, bowtie pasta, large shell pasta, and ziti pasta are all excellent options. The penne's size and shape appeal to me, and some of the creamy alfredo sauce is retained inside the noodles.
- Cheese: You can use any type of cheese in this recipe. The Italian combination of shredded cheese that comes in the bag is my favorite, but mozzarella cheese is also a fantastic choice.
- Homemade Alfredo Sauce: Four cups are needed if you're using homemade sauce.
How To Store Leftovers
You may either put individual servings in airtight containers and keep them in the refrigerator for up to four days, or you can store any leftovers within the casserole dish. Use a microwave to reheat leftovers.
Serving Suggestions
- Green Salad: Serve a large green salad with this alfredo chicken dish. The heavy dish is complemented by the vibrant and nutritious green salad. After purchasing a bag of salad mix, I toss it thoroughly with sliced carrots, cucumber slices, and cherry tomatoes. I also always provide croutons with my salad because my kids enjoy them.
- Garlic Bread: Any pasta meal tastes great with some parmesan garlic bread or cheesy garlic bread.
- Breadsticks: Purchase some frozen breadsticks and bake them as directed on the package, or try making some simple homemade breadsticks.
- Fresh Fruit: Adding some chopped fruit to a grab-and-go fruit plate is always a terrific way to liven up a meal. Since I always have fruit in my refrigerator, I make do with what I have.
Recipe Tips
- Cook Time: Pasta that is cooked for 35 minutes will be firmer and more al dente. Pasta cooked for 45 minutes (or almost so) will be softer. I always cook the casserole for 45 minutes because my family prefers soft pasta.
- Alfredo Sauce: For this recipe, use a high-quality, flavorful alfredo sauce. Make sure you enjoy it since the flavor really comes through. I adore the Rao's or Bertoilli brands. Despite the high cost of Rao's, I typically purchase Bertolli brand Alfredo sauce.
- Seasonings: Vary how much of each you use. For extra spiciness, you can also add dried parsley, dried basil, or red pepper chili flakes.
- Salt with Chicken Broth or Stock: I think chicken stock is typically saltier than broth, so if you're using chicken stock, use ¾ teaspoon of kosher salt. In addition to the kosher salt specified in the recipe, I always use fully salted broth or stock. Once more, though, you might want to try the recipe exactly as is and see how you like it before adjusting the amount of salt. Although my kids adore the dish exactly as is, I would rather use ¾ teaspoon of kosher salt rather than 1 teaspoon.
- Cheese: For this recipe, I use an Italian cheese blend. Although I usually advise shredding your own cheese, this recipe works nicely using a bag of pre-shredded cheese. You can use any type of cheese you like.
- Cover While Baking: It is imperative that the casserole pan be covered with foil while baking! The foil keeps the pasta from burning and crisping up, and we want to keep all that heated air within the dish to help soften the pasta.
- Avoid Using Frozen Broccoli: I advise against using frozen broccoli in place of fresh broccoli. During the thawing and cooking process in the casserole dish, frozen broccoli will release an excessive amount of liquid. I can only promise those outcomes because I have only ever used fresh broccoli.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You should definitely cover your chicken alfredo while it bakes since the steam that is produced from doing so aids in the pasta's cooking.
Yes! This recipe actually uses the oven for all of the cooking.
Although fettuccine is likely the pasta most frequently associated with alfredo, you can use a variety of pastas in this dish. Although we used penne pasta, you could use caserrece, farfalle, or fusilli instead.
Since parmesan and romano cheeses are commonly used to make alfredo sauce, we feel that the finest addition is either fresh parmesan or a parmesan mix!
Yes! I like to put everything in the baking dish the night before or in the morning and then put it in the oven to bake before supper. If you prepare ahead of time, just make sure to cover with aluminum foil or Saran Wrap and place in the refrigerator. If you prepare this meal in an aluminum baking pan with a plastic cover, you can freeze it for up to three months.
If you tried this Dump and Bake Chicken Alfredo Casserole or any other recipe on my website, please feel free to leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. And remember to tag me on Instagram!
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Recipe
Dump and Bake Chicken Alfredo Casserole
INGREDIENTS
- 9 oz penne pasta
- 1 ½ cup each alfredo sauce
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 ¼ cups cooked shredded chicken
- 3 cups chopped fresh broccoli
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups shredded Italian blend cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- Prepare a baking dish, i used my procelaine pyrex baking dish, and dump in your uncooked farfalle pasta, the alfredo sauce, the chicken broth, the chicken and the veggies alongside the seasonings and mix very gently until well combined together.
- Once everything is well-combined, give it a gentle shake, and cover it with foil and throw it in the oven for 40 minutes. Check your pasta when it is halfway the cooking time and put it back in the oven.
- When the cooking is almost done, take back your baking dish out of the oven and sprinkle on top your freshly grated mozzarella cheese and put it back for a few minutes to give it that melty, cheesy top layer.
NOTES
- You might need a bigger jar of alfredo sauce, the smaller ones not gonna cut it! opt for the 22-ounce jars, or you can opt out for two 15-ounce ones.
- The total cooking will vary from person to person depending on your oven type and depending on the type of pasta you are using. Ceramic baking dish like the one i used usually takes longer cooking times than the metalic ones.
- Cover with foil. covering the baking is mandatory! and will ensure that the pasta cooks and gets tender and softer, otherwise it will dry and burn!
Jennifer Stine says
Have you ever tried to cook the chicken in this dish
Can you think of any reason it wouldn't work