Cheese? Seasoned Chicken? Pasta? In a Creamy Alfredo Sauce? Ummm…Yes, Please! This baked cheesy chicken alfredo recipe is one of those recipes that will have your kids running to the dinner table. It's filled with all the goodness of cheeses and one of my favorite pastas…penne pasta.

LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS CHEESY CHICKEN ALFREDO

For a full list of ingredients and instructions, please scroll down to the recipe at the bottom of the page.

Chicken
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Onion powder
Garlic
Chicken broth
Heavy cream
Penne pasta (your favorite kind of pasta)
Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
Parsley

Did you notice that I did not mention a jar of alfredo sauce? We're making our own alfredo sauce from scratch. This is a basic version but still a delicious version made from scratch, well almost. I'll explain.

As pictured, you see that I am using pre-shredded cheese. For the best version, buy the block cheese and shred it yourself for the ultimate creamy alfredo sauce. This is what I had on hand. But, trust me if you use block mozzarella cheese, the pull is going to be mind blowing…if you're into that kind of thing. We love a good cheese pull over here. Now, I said the sauce is made from scratch…almost. Why? Because we're adding everything in together in the pot. Typically, you make the sauce and then add everything else in. But, I want to give you an easy one pot meal. Well, a pot then baking dish!

HOW TO BAKE CHICKEN ALFREDO

This is a great weeknight dinner recipe that can be made in under a hour. If you're busy, this is a great recipe to keep tucked in your recipe binder/folder.

In a pot, heat oil on medium.

Season chicken with salt, pepper, and onion powder to taste. Add chicken to pot and brown for about 3-5 minutes on each side. Don't worry if chicken doesn't cook all the way right now, it'll continue to cook throughout the process. Add garlic for last 30 seconds of browning the chicken.

Add broth, heavy cream, and pasta. Bring to a boil.

Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Turn heat off and stir in parmesan cheese.

Grease a baking dish. Pour half of the pasta into the baking dish. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese, then pour remaining pasta over cheese, then add more mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese on top.

Broil 10-15 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley and enjoy!

The middle will be saucy with a great cheesy alfredo taste and the top will have the nice golden brown melted cheese. When you dig in, you'll have a nice cheesy pull and layers of sauce and cheese. The fresh green parsley gives it a pop of color and brings out the color of the pasta bake.

Chef Patrice Tips for a great Chicken Alfredo and easier steps.

Is their an easier way to make this? Of course!!!

First, you can use a different pasta than penne if you want. Other good options are rigatoni, large elbow macaroni, farfalle, rotini, and shells. Use what you have on hand.

Buy a rotisserie chicken that's already cooked. Those rotisserie chickens are usually packed with flavor. Take it home and just pull it apart. I always love that quick hack for a lot of dishes when I forget to take out the chicken (don't tell no one our little secret, okay 😉).

If you really do not want to make the sauce from scratch (even though it's so much better), you can buy a jar of alfredo sauce and just pour that right in.

If you noticed, I have garlic pepper. If you don't have that, break it up. Use black pepper and garlic powder. You can also add in some Italian seasoning. If you want to get fancy, add a pinch (and I do mean a pinch) of nutmeg in when you add the heavy cream.

As stated before, I really prefer block, fresh cheese, However, I had these bags and this is what I ended up using. Did it still come out ok? Yep! Did it still taste good? Absolutely!!! Let's just say, there was none left. So, yep, it was delicious.

Want to get your kids to eat a vegetable with this? Add some sautéed spinach or broccoli. Mix it in right before you bake it. You can even cut the broccoli up into small pieces. The alfredo sauce will mask the flavors of the vegetables. Serve it with garlic bread, bread sticks, or a salad. You have a full meal.