Baked Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo Casserole
User Reviews
4.5
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Total Time
1 hr
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Servings
8
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Calories
702 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Baked Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo Casserole
Description
This casserole starts with fettuccine cooked to package instructions and set aside. The Alfredo sauce is prepared by melting butter and cream cheese, then stirring in heavy cream and cheeses along with garlic powder and optionally nutmeg. Pasta water is added to thin the sauce so it coats the noodles without becoming overly thick. Chicken breasts are seasoned, pounded to uniform thickness, and seared to achieve a browned exterior before being layered into the casserole.
The mixture of pasta and sauce is then topped with a seasoned breadcrumb, Parmesan, and mozzarella blend that crisps during baking. Baking the assembled casserole melts the cheese topping and infuses the dish with baked flavors that contrast with the creamy interior. The finished dish offers a comforting combination of creamy, cheesy sauce with moist chicken and tender pasta.
The recipe suggests using large chicken breasts pounded thin for even cooking and advises that a store-bought Alfredo sauce can be substituted if desired. Baking at 375°F yields a nicely browned crust without overcooking the pasta or chicken. The casserole serves as a hearty main dish and pairs well with vegetables or simple green salads.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fettuccine noodles
Alfredo Sauce
- 5 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 4 ounces cream cheese use full fat for best results, brick-style
- 2 cups heavy cream do not use milk or half-and-half
- 2 cups Parmesan Cheese grated
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
- ½ cup pasta water optional but recommended
Chicken
- 2 chicken breast halved and pounded thin and uniform, large, boneless, skinless
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
Bread Crumb Topping
- ½ cup Italian-style bread crumbs
- ⅓ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- 3 tablespoons butter melted, unsalted
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- parsley optional for garnishing, fresh
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F and spray a 9x13 or approximately 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
- Pasta - To a large stockpot, cook the fettuccine according to package directions, drain, rinse, and set aside in a large bowl. Note - Save about 1 cup of pasta water for the alfredo sauce. While it cooks, make the alfredo sauce.
- Alfredo Sauce** - To a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cream cheese, heavy cream, and heat over medium-low to melt, stirring nearly constantly to melt.
- Add both cheeses, garlic powder, optional nutmeg, and stir to combine and melt the cheese.
- The alfredo sauce needs to be fairly thin because it gets poured over the fettuccine and the noodles absorb the sauce in the oven so you don't want the sauce to be too thick. At this point, I recommend adding 1/2 cup pasta water to thin out the sauce, although eyeball and if it's already pretty thin, you can add none or less than 1/2 cup, using your judgment.
- Pour the alfredo sauce over the fettuccine, stir and toss to combine and coat well, and transfer them to the prepared baking dish in an even, loose layer; set aside.
- Chicken - Pound the chicken to an even and uniform thickness so it cooks through in the allotted baking time.
- Drizzle it with olive oil, massage it into both sides, and sprinkle both sides of each chicken breast with salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken on top of of the fettuccine and bake for about 20 minutes. If your chicken is thicker, you may need to bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes, bake as needed until done. While it's baking, made the bread crumb topping.
- Bread Crumb Topping - To a medium bowl, add the bread crumbs, Parmesan, melted butter, and toss with a fork until small crumbly bits form.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven, evenly sprinkle the 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and the bread crumb topping over the top, and return the the baking dish to the oven for about 5 minutes, or just until the cheese has melted and the bread crumbs are lightly golden browned.
- Optionally garnish with fresh parsley.
- Serve immediately with garlic bread, a Caesar salad, or as desired. Extra will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days. I have never frozen this because cream sauces sometimes don't tolerate the freezing/thawing process well so I've never tried. Reheat leftovers gently in the microwave or as desired.
Notes
- Use large chicken breasts pounded thin for uniform cooking and tender texture.
- You can substitute about 2 cups of store-bought Alfredo sauce if preferred, adjusting the amount as needed.
- Retain some pasta cooking water to thin the Alfredo sauce for better coating consistency.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 702 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 702kcal | 35% |
| Carbohydrates | 27g | 9% |
| Protein | 27g | 54% |
| Fat | 54g | 83% |
| Saturated Fat | 31g | 155% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 19g | 112% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 174mg | 58% |
| Sodium | 1015mg | 42% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.5
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