You only need 10 minutes of prep for this easy Dump-and-Bake Chicken Alfredo Pasta Casserole!
A 10-minute total crowd-pleaser, this Dump and Bake Chicken Alfredo Pasta Casserole is an easy, cheesy, comfort food dinner for your busiest weeknights — and you don’t even have to boil the pasta!
Yes, yes…it’s true! This meal RIGHT HERE is the stuff of carb-lovers’ dreams! With practically no effort at all (and only a handful of very simple ingredients), you can have a homemade Chicken Alfredo Pasta tender, warm, and oozing with creamy goodness.
My family has loved all of the other Dump-and-Bake dishes that I’ve made, and it seems like you guys have too! What’s not to love, right? You don’t even have to boil the pasta or prep any ingredients, and the noodles come out tender and perfect every time!
So Where Does Pasta Alfredo Come From?
Apparently the well loved fettuccine Alfredo pasta dish originates from Rome where a man called Alfredo created a dish consisting of fettuccine, butter and parmesan for his pregnant wife. Over the years and after reaching America it developed a richer, creamer sauce and is often found with the addition of meat.
Whether this is true or not no one can deny how comforting and incredibly delicious alfredo pasta is. I created this version with added chicken, short noodles and the best thing of all it’s all made in one dish from start to finish, how easy is that?!
In fact this dump and bake chicken alfredo casserole is made with only 6 ingredients! So what do you need to make it? Here’s a list of the ingredients;
- Short pasta noodles
- 1 jar alfredo sauce
- Chicken stock
- Rotisserie chicken
- Garlic
- Mozzarella
- Optional toppings are fresh herbs and parmesan cheese (for an extra flavor punch)
Serve this casserole with a green salad or some steamed broccoli on the side, and you’ve got a complete meal ready in a matter of minutes. In fact, it’s WAY easier (and cheaper) than even grabbing take-out from the local Italian restaurant. Can’t beat that!
More One-Pan Pasta Dishes You Might Like:
- Dump and bake pasta puttanesca
- Dump and bake creamy chicken penne pasta
- Dump and bake chicken pesto pasta
- Dump and bake spring pasta
Dump and Bake Chicken Alfredo Pasta Casserole
You only need 10 minutes of prep for this easy Dump-and-Bake Chicken Alfredo Pasta Casserole!
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked rotini pasta
- 1 (22 ounce) jar Alfredo sauce (I used Prego Roasted Garlic Parmesan Alfredo)
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups diced rotisserie chicken (or other diced cooked chicken)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella (or Italian blend cheese)
- Optional: Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped herbs (such as basil, oregano, and parsley for garnish)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
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In a large baking dish, stir together uncooked pasta, alfredo sauce, chicken stock, chicken, and garlic. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
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Uncover; stir. At this point you should check the pasta to make sure that it is al dente (firm but just about finished cooking). I have had good luck with the 30-minute cook time; however, some readers have noted that it required about 10 or 15 minutes longer. If it’s still too hard after 30 minutes, just cover the dish and return to the oven until pasta is al dente. Then move on to the next step.
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Sprinkle mozzarella over the top. Bake uncovered for 10 more minutes (or until cheese is melted and pasta is tender).
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Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan or fresh chopped herbs, if desired.
Recipe Notes
Serve with steamed broccoli and salad for a complete meal.
This definitely looks like a carb-lover’s dream! Love the alfredo flavor, one of my favorites! Such a great comfort meal!
Yep, total comfort food — and definitely approved by boys and men! 🙂
Could you cook the noodles first? I just realized I am completely out of tin foil! Would the cooking time change if I did boil the noodles first?
Hi, Bayleigh! You can definitely cook the pasta in advance, but the recipe ingredients will change. There is a lot of liquid in the original recipe because the raw pasta absorbs that liquid as it’s cooking in the dish. If you’re using pasta that’s already cooked, I would completely omit the broth and just use the alfredo sauce as a base. The cooking time will be much shorter because you’re just heating it through until it’s bubbly and warm (probably only 20 minutes or so). Hope that helps!
Another option would be to find a small oven-safe pot or sheet pan that can cover your dish tightly instead of the foil. 🙂
Can you add raw broccoli to this dish?
Hi, Teresa! Yes, I think that’s a great idea! I would just cut it small enough that it cooks through easily in the baking time allotted.
Could I make this in a slow cooker?
Hi! Yes, I think you probably can, although I’ve never tried it that way so you will have to just play with the cooking time to see how long it takes for the pasta to become tender.
I just made this tonight and it turned out wonderfully! I added a head of raw broccoli cut into bitesize pieces and two diced, seeded Roma tomatoes. I did have to add about another ten minutes after stirring, and was concerned that it would be watery when I checked it after the 30 minutes. But as someone else mentioned, once you remove the foil, add the cheese, and pop it back in the oven, it thickened right up. Thank you for this simple, delicious addition to our food rotation!
Sounds perfect, Barbara! Thank you for sharing your additions. Yes — it definitely thickens right up at the very end. 🙂
Just try it un covered baked same temp…when the top starts to brown a little…add cheeses bake 5 more minutes….you should be fine…
There is so mu yumminess in this ♥
summerdaisy.net
Thanks, Summer! 🙂
Dump & Bake is the best! Always on our weekly menu.
The only way to go with little kids, right Alison?! 🙂
This was a huge hit in my house and so easy to make! I even added spinach. Definitely will be making again and again….
Awesome! That’s great, Amanda! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it. I love the idea of adding spinach — so smart!
Seems liquidy when i took the foil off ? Am I missing something ?
It depends, Rachel — did you check the pasta? If it’s tender and cooked through, then I’d say you’re good to go. You want it to be somewhat “saucy” so that your dish isn’t too dry. If the pasta still seems a bit firm, then I’d pop it back in the oven for a few more minutes (and it will soak up more of the liquid). Hope that helps! 🙂
I was concerned too but the 10 min of uncovered cooking helps to thicken the sauce up! It’ll be liquidy when you first take off the foil.
Thanks for the feedback, Abbey!
Cannthis be cooked one day, put in fridge and reheated?
Hey, Maggie! Yes, you can definitely do that. Like any other pasta casserole, I don’t think that the texture of the pasta is quite as good when it’s reheated…but it will work.
Hi, Blair, Does dump chicken Alfredo freeze well? Also can the recipe be doubled or tripled without adjustments? Thanks.
Hey, Jennifer! I actually have never tried freezing it. If you’re going to do that, I would freeze it BEFORE baking — not after. Then you would just have to extend the baking time to account for the fact that your ingredients are frozen when you put them in the oven. 🙂 I would think it should work fine, though.
And yes — you can definitely double or triple the recipe. Just make sure that you increase the pan size (or use more pans) and double/triple ALL of the ingredients in the same proportions. Enjoy! 🙂
Blair, Thank you for the speedy reply. If I freeze it I will let you know how it goes.
You’re very welcome! Definitely let me know if you give it a try! 🙂
Did you try freezing it yet? I had the same question.
Hi, Lisa! No, I haven’t. I did check on the company’s website to see if the alfredo sauce can be frozen. The company says that it can be frozen; however, they warn that it might change in consistency and require lots of stirring when reheating to get any clumps out of the sauce. I’m not sure how well that would work in this casserole since it can be difficult to stir a dish like this after it’s assembled. Personally, I would err on the side of caution and not freeze this particular dish. 🙂
Looks yummy. Do you think you could sub in shrimp and maybe some imatation crab for the chicken. I have a house full of grandkids for the weekend and this is the answer to dinner. My grandkids love shrimp.
Hi, LuAnne! I’m so glad that you might share this with your grandchildren! My boys love shrimp too, but I’ve never tried it in a dump-and-bake pasta. I would be concerned that the shrimp might get overcooked since they will likely cook much faster than the pasta. Crab meat would probably work fine, or you could use extra Jumbo large shrimp that have a longer cooking time? Just a thought! Have a great weekend!
I like the sound of that! It would nake a great small app for a dinner party, elevated by the seafoid. I’m saving this one fir our Cousons Club summer party. Thanks girls!
Can you sub gluten free noodles? If so any changes?
Hi, Donna! I would think so, but I honestly have not tried that. I don’t use gluten free products, so I’m not sure if they require a different cooking time or not. Sorry that I’m not much help in that regard. I would think that if you use a similar shape pasta (even gluten free), that it would be fine. 🙂
I would like to make this for a graduation party, do you have any suggestions for making this in a large roaster?
Hi, Roni! That’s great — so glad that you’ll make it for the party! This recipe uses a 13 x 9-inch baking dish (about 3.5 quart dish), which is one of the larger standard baking dishes. If you have a giant roaster pan that holds 7 or 8 quarts, then you can definitely just double all of the ingredients and bake it in that one giant pan (the cooking time should be about the same). If you don’t have a giant pan to accommodate a double recipe, then I would just suggest doubling the ingredients and dividing them between two separate 13 x 9-inch pans. Hope that helps, and enjoy!
Can this be made ahead & refrigerated?
Hi, Jess! You can definitely do that for a couple of hours, but I wouldn’t let it sit for too long (for instance, overnight). I worry that the pasta might get too mushy or would absorb too much of the liquid before baking. Hope that helps, and enjoy!
That definitely helps! Thanks so much!
I had leftovers the next night and noodles were still good. Actually I am making again tonight!
Yay! So glad that you enjoyed it! 🙂
Can you cook this with broccoli? If so, fresh or frozen? And do you just add it in with everything in the beginning and bake?
Hi, Stacey! Yes, you can definitely add broccoli to the recipe! I would grab a bag of frozen broccoli florets (because they’re easier!) and just cook them in the microwave for a few minutes. That will give them a head start so that they’re crisp-tender when you add them to the dish. You don’t want to totally cook them until they’re mushy because they will continue cooking in the oven with the casserole. Let me know if you have any other questions! 🙂
I’m in the mostly-soft food phase of jaw surgery recovery, so this was a nice change from all of the tomato sauce dishes (and for anyone wondering, this is much easier to eat than traditional Alfredo). I had to bake for close to 50 minutes before I was able to add the cheese, but that may have been because I used a little more chicken stock to be sure that the pasta was fully covered. I used a deep, round dish, so I think that also altered the cooking time a bit. I only used one cup of mozzarella and it was still super cheesy. It was a huge hit with my husband so I’ll be making it again.
Hi
I just made this and it turned out horrible!
I just see now scrolling down to leave a comment you stste to a person asking about doubling the recipie that this recipe is designed for a 13z9 baking dish. That should be stated in the recopie not a large baking dish. This was raw on the yop and mush on the bottom and lacked flavor and a sauce.At almost 60
Cooking not new to me , I even dumped out the first dish into a smaller one to bake but knowing itt was a 13×9 would have helped. What a waste of ingredients.
I can’t wait to try this. I had a friend in my college days who made amazing fettuccine Alfredo. His secret: He cooked the pasta in chicken broth!
I think you’ll love this, Lisa! Enjoy! 🙂
Does anyone have a suggestion to reduce the amount of sodium in the Dump and Bake Chicken Alfredo Pasta Casserole other than using no sodium chicken stock? The sodium continent is twice the amount of what renal patients should have.
Hi, Ellen! I know that some readers have had success with making their own alfredo sauce from scratch to use in the recipe. That would obviously add to the prep time, but it would allow you to control the amount of salt that goes into the sauce. Another option would be to decrease the amount of cheese that you use in the recipe, since cheese also includes sodium. Hope that helps, and enjoy!
This turned out great! I did make a lot of changes because of what I had on hand. Used Farfelle (bowtie) pasta, a can of Costco chicken, about a cup of frozen chopped kale and some quartered crimini (baby portabello ) mushrooms. This is a keeper!
Your changes sound perfect, Debbie! Thanks for the great review! 🙂
Hi Blair, I just had a quick question. I’m compiling a book of simple recipes for people with mental illness, and was wondering if I would be able to use this recipe? If so, how would you like me to credit you?
Hi, Rori! My recipes are copyright protected, but I will allow you to reprint this recipe if you’re not doing so for profit. Please just credit my website. Thanks!
If I want to make this as a casserole to throw in the freezer and heat up later, do I cook the noodles and leave out the chicken broth/stock? Or what do I do different? I’m making 5 different casseroles to put in the freezer to eat once my baby gets here ❤️
Hey, Ali! Congrats on the new baby! Freezer meals are the best — especially after a little one is born!
To turn this into a freezer meal, I would do one of two things:
1. Stock all of the ingredients in your house so that the meal is ready to “dump-and-bake” when you need it, but don’t actually assemble it until the last minute. For instance, freeze the cooked, diced chicken in a Ziploc freezer bag along with the minced garlic and label it. Put the box of pasta, the jar of alfredo, and the carton of broth in your pantry together. Then, when you’re ready to enjoy the dinner, just thaw the chicken with the garlic, stir everything together, and pop it in the oven. That would be my top choice.
OR, if you really want to get all of the prep work done in advance, here’s another option:
2. Assemble the entire casserole as instructed through Step #2. Cover tightly and freeze. Then, when ready to bake, thaw the casserole in the refrigerator overnight and bake according to instructions above. You might have to add some time to the baking time, though, because you’ll be cooking it while it’s cold.
This option isn’t my top choice, just because I think that the texture of the noodles could be a little bit “off” after the raw pasta sits in the liquid for some time. Not bad, just not as “al dente.” 🙂
Hope that helps, and good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!
Hi Blair
I searched for dry pasta casseroles and found yours. I love to cook but wanted something easy. I can never seem to follow a recipe without adding my extra stuff, so this is what I did.
2 large cloves garlic microplaned
2 tsp kosher salt
1tsp coarse ground pepper
2/3 oz. Basil chiffonade
8 oz. Mozzarella 1/4″ cubed
2tsp red pepper flake
2 crowns broccoli cut small and microwaved blanched 3 min .
45 [email protected] 425
Stir and add 4 oz.Parm, Asiago, and Romano shaved mix.
Sprinkle with paprika and return for 15 min. Uncovered.
Remove, cover with foil and rest 10 min.
I made this in a 9×13 and….
OMG Still quick, still easy and sooooo delicious!
Thank you!
Hi, Bob! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a note and share your additions. They sounds perfect, and I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the meal! 🙂
Pretty good to be so easy. I halved the recipe and made 2 seperate casseroles.
How would i make this recipe using boneless skinless chicken breast instead of rotisserie chicken? Should i cook the chicken first? Also what does 2 cups of cooked chicken translate into weight-wise? Is a pound a good amount, too much, not enough? Also what would I do if i wanted to top it with breadcrumbs?
Hi, Sarah! Yes, you can substitute any cooked chicken for the rotisserie chicken. Generally, 3/4 pound of raw boneless skinless chicken breasts will yield about 2 cups of cubed cooked chicken.
If you want to top it with breadcrumbs, you can toss the breadcrumbs with melted butter and just sprinkle the buttered breadcrumbs on top of the casserole during the final 5-10 minutes of baking (just so that they have a chance to brown, but not burn). Enjoy!
I made this last night and it was great! No leftovers! My kids are pretty picky and they loved it. I used three skinless, boneless chicken thighs and made my own stock with them. One way to cut down on sodium. But everything else I followed to the “T” and it came out perfect. The timing was spot on too. Thank you for this delicious recipe.
This was amazing!!! Thank you!
Great! I’m thrilled that it was a hit! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
This recipe is soooo good!! I followed the directions exactly and it turned out perfectly! Thank you.. this one is a keeper ♥️
Excellent! I’m so glad that it worked well for you, Patti! 🙂
Oh boy….. I accidentally mixed in all the cheese BEFORE baking it…. Here’s to hoping it still turns out…. Yikes! If you read this in the next 30 minutes give me some hope!! 🙂
I think it will be fine, Lori! 🙂
hi! can i cut the recipe in half and use a smaller baking dish? as long as i halve everything it should work right? would the bake time still be the same? thanks!
Absolutely! I’ve done that many times. 🙂 Cut every ingredient in half and bake in an 8-inch square dish. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same. Enjoy!
I made this for my husband and extremely picky daughter. Everyone loved it. I added 10 mins after the initial 30 and it was perfect. We will be adding this to our regular rotation.
Wonderful! Thanks, Kim — I’m so glad to hear that your family enjoyed it! 🙂
I wouldn’t make this again.. 30 minutes is nowhere near enough time. Noodles are still brittle. Total time in the oven for me was 1 hour.
I can definately make a way better chicken alfredo from scratch in half the time including tha sauce..
This dish was more a kin to a frozen dinner. Threw it out. I made a poor decision to try and take a shortcut that ultimately took longer and turned out terrible.
I totally screwed up the recipe and it still turned out okay. Forgot to cover it, so I ended up stirring it about 10 minutes before it was done cooking. I used up all my mozarella on another recipe, so I put a bunch of Parmesan cheese on it before I served it. I also put in 4 cups of chicken, cuz I couldn’t save the chicken for later. I served this at a women’s retreat and everyone loved it.
That’s great, Barb! Thank you for letting me know! 🙂
I’m so dumb, I totally put raw chicken in with the pasta since I usually bake my chicken anyways in my Alfredo.
It’s okay, Harley! If the chicken was diced into small pieces, it should be totally fine. 🙂
Can I use frozen diced rotisserie chicken? Defrosted, of course.
Absolutely! 🙂
Made this tonight after my kids had requested “that yummy white chicken pasta from Costco”. My errands ran long and I didn’t make it to Costco today, so my search for a similar recipe sent me here. I’m thrilled to have found this! All five kids at my dinner table loved this! What an easy-peasy and super delicious recipe! I followed as Directed, but accidentally started mixing the cheese in instead of topping (was multitasking and helping my son with homework). Also mixed in some finely chopped broccoli and zucchini (half a head and half a zucchini). I have a feeling this will become be a weekly staple! Thanks for sharing!
Wonderful! There’s nothing better than an easy dinner that all of the kids can agree on! 🙂
Can I use marinara sauce instead of Alfredo sauce?
Yes! 🙂
Great dish and easy to make. I love it!
Thanks, Tonya!
What a wonderful casserole! I did add one more jar of Alfredo. This dish was the bomb! Thank you so much!!!!
Thanks, Jennifer! 🙂
Bland and unimaginative. Tastes like a cheap meal. There are at least 100 ways to make this actually good.
My kids love this. I use two 15 ounce jars of Alfredo sauce (I was in the middle of making it when I realized I had the wrong size jars of Alfredo and just used two) and two chicken breasts. I have added broccoli and I think it is an improvement but my son disagrees. The kids would eat it every week.
Sounds great, Georgia! Thank you!
WOW! Absolutely delicious! This recipe is a keeper! Thank you!
Thanks, Karen!
The first time I made this I decided it needed a bit more flavor/ zing. Second time I added a can of Hunts diced tomatoes with sweet onion along with bite size broccoli and oh my it was delicious.
Thank you for the recipe !!
SW
Your changes sound delicious! Thanks, Sandi!
Hi there. Just wanted to say I tried this recipe last night and it was so good and so easy! Barely any cleanup, too.
I haven’t been feeling well from some medicine side effects and needed something easy and something that I could use up a rotisserie chicken on so it wouldn’t go to waste. So I searched chicken and pasta casserole and this site came up…
I didn’t have any fresh herbs on hand so I added half a tsp of Mrs Dash garlic n herb.
I cut the recipe in half for just my husband and I and we have enough for leftovers tonight.
Broccoli goes really good with it.
That’s wonderful, Kristin! Thanks for your note, and I hope that you’re feeling better soon!
Idk what i did wrong. I followed your recipe, but mine was so liquidy. The noodles were done and everything. I dont know what happened
Hey, Taylor! I’m not sure what went wrong, either. It shouldn’t be watery if the noodles are cooked through, because the pasta absorbs liquid as it bakes. I’m sorry that I wasn’t there to see what may have gone wrong. 🙁
What if I do not have any broth on hand?
I would substitute with water. It won’t have quite as much flavor, but it will still work!