This Creamy Baked Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Casserole is comfort food at its best—rich, cozy, and full of flavor. Tender penne pasta, juicy chicken, and broccoli are all wrapped in a luscious, cheesy alfredo sauce that’s guaranteed to be a crowd favorite. Perfect for weeknight dinners or potlucks!
This easy chicken broccoli cheese casserole is the ultimate crowd-pleaser—creamy, cheesy, and totally satisfying. With tender chicken, broccoli, penne, and a rich white garlic parmesan alfredo sauce, it’s a complete meal in one dish that never disappoints.
The blend of mozzarella and parmesan adds that irresistible golden topping, making the chicken pasta bake comfort food at its finest. It’s simple enough for a cozy weeknight dinner, yet impressive enough for guests.
Bonus: it’s a great make-ahead option! Just assemble the night before, refrigerate, and bake fresh when you're ready to serve.
Jump to:
- Reasons to Love the Creamy Pasta Chicken Bake
- Ingredients you’ll need to make baked alfredo pasta
- Best dish for baked chicken pasta
- Baked Chicken and Broccoli Pasta
- Should you cover a chicken pasta bake in the oven?
- How to make baked pasta casserole with chicken and broccoli?
- Make ahead instructions
- How to freeze pasta casserole:
- How to bake a frozen pasta bake:
- Success tips
- More chicken pasta dishes
Reasons to Love the Creamy Pasta Chicken Bake
- Perfect for weeknights, Sunday dinners, potlucks, or when you’re entertaining guests.
- Features a smooth, ultra-creamy white garlic parmesan sauce made from scratch that makes every bite rich and comforting - No jar sauce!
- Pasta and broccoli are cooked just right—no soggy casserole dish here!
- A complete one-dish meal with protein, veggies, and carbs all baked to golden perfection.
- Super versatile! Use any short pasta, swap in your favorite veggies, or save time with rotisserie chicken.
Ingredients you’ll need to make baked alfredo pasta
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Penne Pasta: Penne holds sauces well thanks to its tube shape, making it ideal for creamy oven-baked pasta casseroles. You can also swap it with other short pasta like rigatoni, bow tie (farfalle), or fusilli.
- Fresh Broccoli Florets: For best results, cut broccoli into slightly larger florets so they hold their shape during baking. Since broccoli cooks quickly in the oven, smaller pieces can overcook and become mushy.
- Chicken Thighs or Breasts: Chicken is a great protein with pasta. Thighs are juicier and more forgiving than breasts, especially when baked. If you prefer white meat, chicken breasts work too.
- Cheeses: Parmesan adds a rich depth and mozzarella brings that melty, stretchy quality we all love on top of chicken pasta bake. For best flavor, use freshly grated cheeses rather than pre-shredded.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic boosts the flavor of the sauce. Feel free to add garlic powder if you are in a rush.
- Milk and Heavy Cream: A 4:1 ratio of whole milk to heavy cream (4 cups milk, 1 cup cream) gives the homemade alfredo sauce a rich and creamy texture without being overly heavy. For a lighter option, use 5 cups of whole milk.
- Flour: All-purpose flour acts as the thickener in your roux, helping turn milk and cream into a luscious white sauce.
Best dish for baked chicken pasta
A 9x13-inch baking dish is ideal—it provides enough space for even baking and is perfect for feeding a family or a crowd. If you're cooking for a smaller crowd or just for family dinner, simply halve the recipe and use an 8x8-inch square baking dish.
When choosing a dish, I like to consider one with a matching lid—it’s convenient for storing leftovers or transporting your baked chicken pasta to potlucks, holiday dinners, or gatherings. For entertaining, ceramic or stoneware dishes are not only oven-safe and practical, but they also look beautiful straight from the oven to the table, adding a pop of color and charm to your presentation.
Baked Chicken and Broccoli Pasta
Equipment
- 9x13 inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 3 to 4 cups broccoli florets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound bonless chicken thighs or breast cut into chunks
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 4 teaspoons salt, divided or to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cups grated parmesan, divided
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzrella
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add one teaspoon salt and pasta. Stir occasionally and cook for 2 minutes less than the time suggested on the package. Add the broccoli florets and cook for 10 seconds. Drain the pasta and broccoli.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 8x13 inch rectangle baking dish with cooking spray.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook until the bottom is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and butter, cooking while stirring the chicken for about one minute. Then, stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
- Add the milk, heavy cream, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and the remaining 3 teaspoons of salt. Stir occasionally and bring the mixture to a boil. After 3 to 4 minutes, the sauce will thicken slightly.
- Stir in one cup of the parmesan cheese and stir until cheese melts. Remove pot from heat and stir in the cooked pasta and broccoli.
- Transfer to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Top with the mozzarella cheese and remaining ½ cup parmesan.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or the top is bubbly and golden. Serve!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
Should you cover a chicken pasta bake in the oven?
Yes—covering your chicken pasta bake for the first part of baking is a smart move. It helps lock in moisture, keeps the sauce from drying out, and ensures the pasta cooks evenly. For that perfect golden, bubbly top, simply remove the cover during the last 10–15 minutes of baking to let it crisp up beautifully.
How to make baked pasta casserole with chicken and broccoli?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
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Step 11 - Transfer into rectangle casserole and top with shredded mozzarella and parmesan. Bake at 375 degrees, until golden on top.
Make ahead instructions
This creamy pasta chciken bake is perfect for make ahead dinner or for entertaining. You have several options.
- Assmeble the entire dish, skip sprinkling these cheeses on top. Freeze or refrigerate, top with cheese and bake before serving.
- Assemble in the baking dish.
- Skip topping with the cheese and let cool completely.
- Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
- Top with both cheese and bake as instructed. Add an additional 5 to 10 minutes of baking time.
How to freeze pasta casserole:
- Assemble, but don’t bake:
Prepare the dish completely—cook the pasta, make the alfredo sauce, combine everything in the baking dish, and top with cheese—but don’t bake it yet. - Cool completely:
Let the chicken broccoli alfredo cool to room temperature before freezing. - Wrap and freeze:
Freeze for up to 2–3 months.
How to bake a frozen pasta bake:
Bake from frozen:
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Remove plastic wrap, but keep foil on top.
- Bake covered for 50–60 minutes or until heated through.
- Uncover and bake for another 10–15 minutes until the top is golden and bubbly.
Thaw before baking:
- Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Bake at 375°F for 30–35 minutes covered, then 10–15 minutes uncovered until bubbly and golden.
Success tips
- Undercook the pasta by 2 minutes to prevent it from becoming mushy as it bakes.
- Cut broccoli into large florets.
- Use chicken thighs or breasts.
- Skip heavy cream and use 5 cups of whole milk.
- Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat the chicken broccoli cheese casserole in the microwave or a 325°F oven.
Looking for more baked pasta dishes? Try my each mac and cheese cups!
More chicken pasta dishes
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