Million Dollar Chicken Afredo Bake

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb cellentani pasta (may sub ziti, penne, or fusilli)
• 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter may sub half olive oil
• 6-8 garlic cloves minced
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 3 cups half and half
• 1 tsp EACH onion powder, dried parsley, dried basil, salt
• 1/2 tsp EACH dried thyme, pepper, chicken bouillon, red pepper flakes
• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (see notes)
• 2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 6-8 slices provolone cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook pasta just until al dente according to package directions – don’t overcook! Strain and rinse with cold water.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish. Set aside.
3. While pasta is cooking, make alfredo sauce. Melt 5 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat then whisk in flour and garlic. Cook, while stirring for 2 minutes. Turn heat to low then gradually whisk in half and half, chicken broth, and all spices/seasonings.
4. Bring to boil, whisking constantly then reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally until thickened (but not overly thick), 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in parmesan cheese until melted. Stir in chicken and pasta and toss until evenly coated (it will seem like a lot of extra sauce which is a good thing).
5. Pour half of the pasta into prepared baking dish and spread in an even layer. Layer pasta evenly with provolone cheese followed by an even layer of sour cream. Pour remaining pasta over sour cream and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
6. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and inside provolone is melted. Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes:

How to cook your own chicken

1. Chop 1 pound chicken into bite size pieces.
2. While the chicken is still on the cutting board, dab with a paper towel then toss with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon paprika.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter (may sub olive oil) over medium heat.
4. Increase heat to medium high and add chicken in a single layer and sear for one minute without moving chicken then continue to cook and stir chicken just until cooked through. Remove to a plate.

Prep ahead instructions:

1. Assemble and refrigerate:

• Take care that your noodles are cooked al dente and are rinsed in cold water so they don’t keep cooking.
• Take care the afredo sauce isn’t too thick as it will thicken more sitting in the refrigerator.
• Assemble chicken alfredo bake according to directions up until baking.
• Tightly cover with foil and refrigerate.
• Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
• Bake according to directions or until completely warmed through.

2. Make afredo sauce in advance:

• You can make the afredo sauce up to 3 days in advance.
• Refrigerate it in an airtight container.
• Gently heat in a large skillet before using, adding additional milk as needed to thin to desired consistency.

3. Make pasta in advance:

• You can cook the pasta al denta up to 5 days ahead of time.
• Rinse pasta with cool water.
• Toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent it from sticking together.
• Transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag and squeeze out excess air.
• Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

4. How to freeze uncooked chicken afredo bake (recommended):

• Take care to cook pasta al dente.
• Assemble chicken alfredo bake according to recipe directions in a freezer safe dish.
• Wrap casserole dish all the way with 2 layers of plastic wrap.
• Cover the plastic wrap with one layer of aluminum foil.
• Label Chicken Afredo Bake.
• Freeze for up to 3 months.

5. How to freeze cooked chicken afredo bake:

• Take care to cook pasta al dente.
• Bake according to directions in a freezer safe dish.
• Let cool on the counter for one hour.
• Cover casserole with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill completely before freezing (this will prevent an unpleasant texture).
• Cover casserole tightly with a second layer of plastic wrap all the way around the dish followed by one layer of aluminum foil.
• Label Chicken Alfredo Bake.
• Freeze for up to 3 months.

6. How to cook from frozen:

• Do NOT defrost chicken afredo bake before baking – this will result in the best texture (vs. mushy).
• Remove plastic wrap from casserole and cover tightly with foil.
• Bake covered at 35o degrees F for one hour.
• Uncover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until hot in the center.

https://carlsbadcravings.com/chicken-alfredo-bake/