Baked Chicken Alfredo

One of my all-time favorite meals is Chicken Alfredo…

But it can’t be just ANY Chicken Alfredo. The sauce has to be PERFECT. Rich, but not too rich. Full of flavor, but not to the point that I can’t take more than one bite. The perfect balance of butter, cream, parmesan, and garlic. That’s my sweet spot.

And since I don’t have time to make this from scratch every time I’m craving it, the convenience of making it in a large batch and distributing it into foil containers that make the perfect freezer meals is the way to go for my family. Honestly, they go bonkers over it. It’s also a fantastic way to make a large meal for a pot luck or big family gathering, because WHO doesn’t like Chicken Alfredo?!?!

This is also just as delicious when it’s made gluten-free. I’m the only one in the family that notices the lack of bloating and tummy troubles, and no one else seems to notice that it’s made with GF pasta. They just wolf it down like it’s regular ole pasta without even knowing, and everyone is happy.

The easy, shortcut version of this recipe is in my second cook book in the Moms on the Go series, What’s for Dinner?

For the sauce:

8 cups half and half (1/2 gallon)

4 sticks butter (1 lb.)

1/3 cup all purpose flour (use GF all purpose flour to make this dish gluten-free)

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 cups freshly grated parmesan

1 tablespoon kosher salt

For the pasta:

2 (16 oz.) boxes rotini or penne pasta (use GF pasta to make this dish gluten-free)

For the chicken:

4 lbs. packaged precooked chicken, cut into chunks

For the topping:

1 lb. grated mozzarella

Melt butter at medium heat in a pot. Whisk in flour and continue cooking for another minute. Slowly add half and half, whisking to combine well. Add garlic, garlic powder, and salt, continue whisking and cook for about 15 minutes, until thickened. While sauce is cooking, boil pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside. Add parmesan cheese to sauce, and reduce heat, continuing to stir. Remove sauce from heat, add pasta and chicken, stir together well. Spoon pasta mixture into foil containers or casserole dishes, then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

If Baking: Bake in 350 degree preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until cheese is melted and lightly browned on top.

If Freezing: Let cool completely before covering and labeling. This is good for up to 3 months in the freezer, you can bake from frozen at 350 degrees for 1 hour 15-30 minutes, or thaw in the refrigerator and bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes.