Description
This Chicken Alfredo Casserole is a comforting, creamy pasta bake featuring rotini pasta, rich Alfredo sauce, tender shredded chicken, and a blend of melted mozzarella cheese. It’s an easy, one-dish meal perfect for busy weeknights, requiring minimal prep and oven baking to achieve a cheesy, satisfying dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Primary Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked rotini pasta
- 1 (22 ounce) jar Alfredo sauce (or 1 ½ 15-ounce jars), approximately 2 ½ cups total
- 3 cups chicken stock (or substitute with chicken broth)
- 2 cups diced or shredded rotisserie chicken, or other cooked chicken
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 large cloves)
Cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese or Italian cheese blend
Optional Garnishes
- Parmesan cheese
- Chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, oregano, or parsley
Instructions
- Preheat and mix ingredients: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). In a large baking dish, combine the uncooked rotini pasta, Alfredo sauce, chicken stock, diced or shredded chicken, and minced garlic. Stir well to evenly distribute all ingredients.
- Initial baking: Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. This allows the pasta to absorb the sauce and start cooking.
- Check pasta doneness and stir: Remove the foil and stir the mixture well. Check if the pasta is nearly al dente but still firm; if it remains very hard, re-cover and continue baking until it reaches this texture. There will still be some liquid present at this stage, which is normal.
- Add cheese and finish baking: Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend evenly over the top of the casserole. Bake uncovered for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until the cheese melts and the pasta finishes cooking to a perfect al dente texture without becoming mushy.
- Garnish and serve: Optionally, garnish the casserole with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, or parsley before serving. Enjoy warm.
Notes
- This recipe requires only about 10 minutes of prep time and uses just one dish, making cleanup minimal.
- If after the initial 30-minute bake the pasta isn’t sufficiently cooked, extend baking time with the foil on until it is close to al dente before adding the cheese.
- Use rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken for convenience.
- Fresh herbs as garnish add a bright, fresh flavor contrast to the creamy casserole.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of the recipe
- Calories: 499 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 1056 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 46 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 105 mg
