This post is sponsored by Cache Valley Creamery. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This baked chicken broccoli alfredo recipe is the perfect easy weeknight meal. Pasta is cooked with fresh broccoli florets and then baked with rotisserie chicken, alfredo sauce, and lots of cheese!
This post was originally published in October 2017 and has been updated for content.
One of my favorite dinner-time shortcuts is grabbing a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. It's great to use in pasta dishes like this one or in chicken noodle soup, chicken pot pie, or buffalo chicken dip.
This easy baked chicken broccoli alfredo recipe can be made with a handful of ingredients for a delicious homemade dinner the whole family will love. Watch how easy this is to whip up this dish for your dinner table on Good Things Utah!
Serve this delicious comfort food with roasted asparagus, garlic cheese bread, or cheddar chive biscuits. For even more options to serve with this chicken alfredo broccoli recipe, check out my post on what to eat with alfredo for all of the best side dishes, bread, and more!
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🧀 Ingredients notes
- Chicken - I like using rotisserie chicken to make this delicious meal easy. However, if you want to cook your own roast chicken, boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs to use. Cut it into bite-sized pieces or shred.
- Broccoli - For best results, use fresh broccoli florets. If you want to use frozen broccoli florets, cook the pasta for 10-12 minutes and then add the broccoli just for 30 seconds to 1 minute to heat it through.
- Alfredo - I like making my quick Thick and Creamy Homeade Alfredo Sauce for recipe while the pasta is cooking. It's the same alfredo I used in my Baked Spaghetti Squash Alfredo, Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells and Baked Tortellini Alfredo recipes. You can also use your favorite jarred alfredo sauce.
- Pasta - Use a short pasta or tube style pasta for this recipe. I like using penne pasta, rotini pasta, or rigatoni pasta best.
- Cheese - This cheesy alfredo bake is made with Cache Valley Creamery Mozzarella Cheese that has been freshly shredded. I recommend shredding your cheese fresh for the best flavor and also texture. If you are tight on time, you can also use Cache Valley Creamery Shredded Mozzarella.
📋 Substitutions and variations
- Meat - Substitute the chicken for meatballs, sausage, shrimp, or grilled steak.
- Gluten-Free - Use your favorite gluten-free pasta and alfredo sauce.
- Dairy Free - Use a dairy-free or plant-based alfredo sauce and cheese substitute.
- Vegetarian - Omit the chicken in the recipe to make it vegetarian.
🔪 Step by step instructions
Bring a large pot of water to boil over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Add salt to the boiling water, reduce to medium heat, and then stir in the pasta.
Cook for 7 minutes and then add the broccoli florets. Cook an additional 3-5 minutes until you have crisp tender broccoli and al dente pasta.
Drain the pasta and broccoli completely from the pasta water and then put them into a buttered baking dish with the alfredo sauce.
Add the chicken pieces, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese, and then stir to combine. Bake the chicken broccoli alfredo at 350˚ for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and lightly golden brown.
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⭐ Expert tips
- Always cook pasta in boiling salted water to add flavor to the dish.
- Cook the pasta al dente so it is cooked through but still has a bite to it.
- Don't rinse the broccoli or pasta after you have cooked and drained it.
🍝 My Perfect Pasta Cooking Ratio
1 Pound Pasta - 4 Quarts Water - 1 Tablespoon Salt
(Don't Forget to Cook Pasta Al Dente!)
🥘 Alternative cooking methods
- Stovetop - Instead of baking this in the oven, return the pasta and broccoli back to the pot or to a large skillet. Stir in the chicken, alfredo, and cheese over medium low heat until the cheese is melted into a creamy sauce.
⏲️ Make ahead instructions
This easy dinner recipe for chicken broccoli alfredo can be put completely together up to two days ahead of time. Put together all the way up until baking time and then wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. At serving time, remove the plastic wrap and bake in a 350˚ oven for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and the pasta is heated through.
🥡 Storage suggestions
Leftovers of this baked broccoli chicken alfredo recipe will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days and then can be reheated in the oven or microwave. Add a bit of chicken broth if the pasta is too dry.
🍝 More pasta recipes
If you loved this baked chicken broccoli alfredo pasta recipe, then check out these other tasty pasta recipes that I know you will love too!
- Roasted Eggplant Spinach Pasta
- Creamy Sundried Tomato Pasta with Goat Cheese
- Carbonara Mac and Cheese
- Lemon Chicken Pasta
๐ Recipe
Baked Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne pasta (affiliate link)
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 3 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 4 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 3 cups alfredo sauce (affiliate link)
- 4 ounces Cache Valley® Mozzarella cheese (affiliate link), shredded, approximately 1 cup
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚ and grease a 9x13 baking dish (affiliate link) with butter or cooking spray.
- Bring a large pot with 4 quarts of water to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Add salt to the boiling water, stir in the pasta, and cook for 7 minutes.
- Add broccoli florets and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until the pasta is al dente and the broccoli is bright green.
- Drain the water completely from the pasta and broccoli and place it in the prepared baking dish. Do not rinse.
- Add the rotisserie chicken, alfredo sauce, shredded Cache Valley® Mozzarella cheese (affiliate link), and grated parmesan and stir to combine.
- Bake the pasta in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the top is lightly golden brown.
Notes
- Chicken - Cook your own roast chicken or roast chicken breasts instead of a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
- Broccoli - Fresh broccoli florets hold up best. Frozen broccoli can be used, but cook the pasta for 10 minutes first, then add the broccoli for the last 30 to 60 seconds to heat.
- Alfredo - Homemade alfredo sauce can be made and cooked while the pasta is cooking or store-bought alfredo sauce can be also used.
- Cheese - Freshly grate a block of Cache Valley® Mozzarella cheese (affiliate link) for the best texture to the sauce. In the interest of time, Cache Valley® Shredded Mozzarella cheese (affiliate link) can be used.
- Meat - Substitute the chicken for meatballs, sausage, shrimp, or grilled steak.
- Gluten-Free - Use a gluten-free pasta and alfredo sauce.
- Dairy-Free - Use a dairy-free substitute for the sauce and cheese.
- Vegetarian - Omit the chicken in the recipe.
- Stovetop - Combine the cooked pasta and broccoli with the chicken, alfredo, and cheese in a pot over low heat and stir until the cheese is melted and creamy.
- Make Ahead - Assemble the dish up until baking time. Cool and cover in plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Remove to sit at room temperature while the oven is preheating. Cooking times may be a bit longer.
- Storage - Leftovers can be kept for 3-5 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop with a bit of milk or cream.
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