Chicken Alfredo Casserole
servings
Creamy Chicken Alfredo Casserole is an easy meal for a busy weeknights. Penne pasta in homemade garlic Alfredo sauce topped with cheese and a crispy breadcrumb topping will become a family favorite!
Ingredients
Casserole
- 8 ounces penne pasta or your favorite pasta
- 3 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken I use a rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
Alfredo Sauce
- 1 head roasted garlic mashed, directions below
- olive oil for drizzling
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 16 ounces heavy cream divided - 1 3/4 for sauce and remaining 1/4 cup for thickener.
- 1 ¼ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 ounces cream cheese room temperature and cut into small squares
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
Alfredo Sauce Thickener
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup heavy cream the remainder of the 16 ounces
Topping
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup plain Panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup shredded Italian cheese blend
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
To roast the garlic
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F. To roast the whole head of garlic, peel off the outer skin, leaving the skin on the individual cloves. Cut 1/4 to 1/2-inch off the tops off of the cloves with a sharp knife so that you can see the individual cloves. Place the head of garlic on a square piece of tin foil and drizzle with olive oil. With clean fingers, massage the olive oil into the tops of the garlic cloves. Wrap aluminum foil around the head of garlic so that it is completely encased. Place the wrapped head of garlic on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until cloves are tender when lightly squeezed. Set aside to cool enough to be handled.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Prepare an 8 X 8-inch baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray.
- Remove the cloves of garlic by gently squeezing them from the skins and place into a small bowl. With a fork, mash the cloves.
Pasta
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
Alfredo Sauce
- In a small saucepan, on low to medium heat, melt the butter. Add 1 ¾ cups heavy cream and roasted garlic, and heat to very warm, but DO NOT boil.
- Mix the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, cream cheese, and sour cream whisking constantly until all of the cheese has melted.
- To thicken the sauce, mix 1 tablespoon of flour with the remaining heavy cream (1/4 cup)in a small bowl. Add the cream/flour mixture to the saucepan, stirring and heating until mixture thickens.
Assembly
- In a large bowl, place the cooked pasta, chicken, peas, cup of Italian cheese,
- Pour the Alfredo sauce over the bowl, and mix everything together. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
Panko Topping
- Put butter in a medium microwaveable bowl and microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until completely melted. Add in breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, and cheese, and mix until well combined. Sprinkle over the baking dish
- Bake for 30 minutes until bubbly.
Notes
You can even save more time by using a 15 ounce jar of Alfredo sauce. If you choose this option, heat the sauce in a pan over medium-low heat, and add the cream cheese and sour cream. Cook until cream cheese has completely melted, stirring often. Then pour sauce over contents in bowl, and bake as directed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 1371kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 63g | Fat: 97g | Saturated Fat: 54g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 322mg | Sodium: 857mg | Potassium: 698mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3304IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 622mg | Iron: 4mg