Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Pasta Bake is creamy under a gooey mozzarella topping, with tender broccoli in every scoop. Make it for a weeknight when you want a warm pasta dinner without cooking a sauce from scratch.
How to make chicken broccoli Alfredo pasta bake: Cook the pasta just short of its package time, adding the broccoli near the end, then combine both with cooked chicken and Alfredo sauce. Bake uncovered at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes, until bubbly and the center reaches 165°F.
Why You’ll Love It
- A short prep window: Cooked chicken and jarred sauce keep the hands-on work to 10 minutes.
- Broccoli without a separate pan: The florets go into the pasta pot near the end of cooking.
- A creamy, cheesy contrast: Alfredo coats the pasta and chicken beneath a melted mozzarella topping.
- Easy to portion: The 9×13-inch dish makes 6 servings you can scoop straight onto plates.
Ingredient Notes
Pasta: Penne is an easy choice, but the ingredient is simply uncooked pasta. I like a shape I can scoop up with the broccoli and chicken. Check the cooking directions on your package rather than guessing when to add the florets.
Broccoli: Buy florets so they can go straight into the pasta water. You want them added near the end, not sitting in the pot for the pasta’s entire cooking time. If you’re cutting them yourself, get that done before the pasta goes in.
Chicken: Start with cooked chicken, shredded or chopped. Rotisserie chicken is a convenient option if you don’t have cooked chicken ready. I choose chopped pieces when I want distinct bites of chicken and shredded chicken when I want it spread more evenly through the pasta.
Alfredo sauce and cheese: Use a 15-ounce jar of Alfredo sauce without adding milk. I stick with freshly grated Parmesan here; it goes into the pasta mixture, while the shredded mozzarella goes on top. Hold off on adjusting the salt and pepper until you’ve tasted the finished bake.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta, such as penne
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
- 1 jar Alfredo sauce (15 ounces)
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
How to Make Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Pasta Bake
1. Heat the oven. Heat it to 375°F and put a rack in the top third. Set out a 9×13-inch casserole dish and a large pot so you’re ready to move the drained pasta straight into the dish.
2. Cook the pasta and broccoli. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for 1 minute less than the package directs, adding the broccoli for the pasta’s last 2 minutes. Drain both and transfer them to the casserole dish.
3. Combine. Add the cooked chicken, Alfredo sauce, Parmesan and Italian seasoning. Toss until the pasta, broccoli and chicken are coated, then spread everything in an even layer. Take a look across the dish before topping it: you want chicken and broccoli throughout, rather than clustered at one end.
4. Top and bake. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the mixture. Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Check the center with a food thermometer; the casserole needs to reach 165°F, even if the edges are already bubbling.
5. Serve. Taste and add salt and black pepper as needed. Scoop it out while the mozzarella is melted and the sauce is still creamy.
Jar Sauce and Broccoli Timing
The jar of Alfredo makes this a straightforward, creamy bake: it coats the chicken and pasta without an extra sauce-making step or added milk. Under the mozzarella, you should see distinct pieces of broccoli and chicken in the sauced pasta, not just a solid layer of cheese.
The timing matters when you have both pasta and fresh broccoli sharing a pot. Follow the pasta package to work out when cooking will finish, then count back for the broccoli’s last 2 minutes. Drain them together. The pasta goes into the oven slightly short of its package time, while the broccoli gets a brief cook before you mix the dish.
I keep the jar beside the casserole dish until I’m ready to toss everything together. That way, you can pour it over the drained ingredients and see where the sauce still needs spreading. Once baked, the top is gooey and the pasta beneath has a creamy coating, with broccoli in each scoop.
Tips for Success
Why is my pasta too soft?
If the noodles have lost their shape and feel overly soft, check how long they spent in the pot before baking. The cooking instruction on the package is for pasta that’s ready to eat; this pasta still goes into the oven. Next time, stop the boil 1 minute short of the package time.
Why is my broccoli softer than I wanted?
Florets that break apart when you toss the casserole have likely spent too long in the boiling water. Keep an eye on the pasta clock and add the broccoli only for its last 2 minutes. I set the broccoli near the pot before the water boils so I don’t have to prepare it while the pasta cooks.
Why are the edges bubbling before the middle is ready?
You may see sauce bubbling around the sides before you know the center’s temperature. Don’t use the bubbling edge as your doneness check: put the food thermometer in the center and continue baking until it reads 165°F. That reading, not the appearance of the topping, tells you the casserole is ready.
Which Dish Should You Use?
Use a 9×13-inch casserole dish so you can spread the coated pasta into an even layer and give the mozzarella room across the top. If the chicken or broccoli gathers in one spot as you toss, distribute it before adding the cheese. You’ll have a much easier time scooping a portion with all the ingredients in it.
Variations
- Choose your pasta: Use penne, or choose another pasta and follow its package directions when timing the boil.
- Change the chicken texture: Use chopped cooked chicken for separate pieces, or shredded cooked chicken for smaller pieces throughout. Cooked rotisserie chicken works for either.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and use them within 3 to 4 days. Frozen leftovers keep for 3 to 4 months, though cream sauces may not freeze well, so expect the Alfredo texture to change. Reheat leftovers to 165°F, checking with a food thermometer.
What to Serve With It
This bake is filling on its own, so choose a second dish according to what your table needs. For another broccoli pasta choice, there’s garlic broccoli pasta with olive oil; for a different chicken-and-broccoli pasta, try chicken broccoli macaroni and cheese with bacon. If you’d rather put rice on the table, consider broccoli rice cheese and chicken casserole or one-pot cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole. For another way to use Alfredo sauce, see baked chicken ricotta meatballs with spinach Alfredo sauce; for a slow-cooker dinner instead, make slow cooker Amish broccoli chicken noodles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bake chicken Alfredo with jar sauce?
Yes. This bake uses one jar of Alfredo sauce, tossed with the pasta, broccoli, cooked chicken and Parmesan before the mozzarella goes on top.
Do you cook broccoli before a pasta bake?
Briefly. Here the broccoli goes into the pasta pot for the last 2 minutes of boiling, so it is bright and tender before the short bake instead of raw in the middle of the dish.
Can I start with raw chicken?
Use cooked chicken for this bake; the oven step heats the assembled casserole rather than giving raw chicken its own cooking step. If you’re cooking chicken for it, USDA FSIS specifies 165°F for poultry measured with a food thermometer before you add it to the pasta.
Does the pasta have to be penne?
No. Penne is an example for the 8 ounces of uncooked pasta, so you can choose another pasta. Use that package’s directions to work out the shorter boiling time and when the broccoli should go in.
Final Notes
Keep your food thermometer handy when you pull the casserole from the oven so you can check the center before serving. Leave a question or tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Pasta Bake
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta uncooked; penne is an option
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 2 cups chicken cooked and shredded or chopped; rotisserie chicken works
- 1 jar Alfredo sauce 15 ounces
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F and position a rack in the top third.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for 1 minute less than its package directs, adding the broccoli for the last 2 minutes of the pasta’s cooking time. Drain and transfer both to a 9x13-inch casserole dish.
- Add the cooked chicken, Alfredo sauce, Parmesan and Italian seasoning. Toss together and spread in an even layer.
- Sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until hot and bubbly and the casserole’s center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
- Season with salt and black pepper as needed and serve immediately.
