Baked Chicken Alfredo
Description
Pasta layered with a creamy alfredo sauce and chicken is baked for 20 minutes in this cheesy kid-pleasing casserole perfect for a weeknight.
Ingredients
•
1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta
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1/2 cup butter
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2 teaspoons minced garlic
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1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
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2 cups milk
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6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese, divided
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2 teaspoons dried parsley
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1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
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1 teaspoon salt, divided
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1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
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1 teaspoon olive oil
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2 chicken breasts, patted dry
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1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions
1
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain.
2
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic; saute until golden, about 30 seconds. Stir in cream cheese until smooth. Add milk; stir until there are no lumps. Lower heat to medium. Add 3/4 of the Parmesan cheese, parsley, Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. Season chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and garlic powder on both sides. Cook chicken breasts until no longer pink in the center and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 6 minutes per side. Cut chicken into 1/2-inch cubes.
4
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
5
Butter bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Cover bottom with a layer of pasta. Place half of the chicken cubes on top. Pour 1/2 of the sauce over the chicken. Repeat layering pasta, chicken, and sauce. Sprinkle top with remaining Parmesan cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.
6
Bake in the preheated oven until sauce is bubbly, about 15 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake until cheese is golden, about 5 minutes more.