The Easiest Chicken Alfredo Ever Requires No Boiling (Just Dump & Bake)

Chicken Alfredo is a dinner that pleases even the pickiest of palates. However, it does require having a couple of pans on the go at the same time; one for browning your chicken and the other for boiling your fettuccini. Plus, you need to be present at the stovetop to make sure your noodles don't overcook before you toss them into your cream sauce. The easiest way to make a creamy batch of chicken Alfredo is to use store-bought ingredients, combine them in a baking dish, and pop the whole lot in the oven. This convenient move saves time and reduces the washing up because everything is mixed together and served in a single vessel.

To make a chicken Alfredo casserole, mix jarred Alfredo sauce, uncooked pasta shapes, grated Parmesan, minced garlic, chicken broth, and shredded rotisserie chicken in a dish, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. The pasta should be just under the al dente stage at this point. Remove the foil, top with shredded mozzarella cheese, and bake again until the noodles are cooked perfectly.

Using chicken broth instead of water allows the noodles to soak up heaps of natural umami flavor, seasoning them from the inside out. Better yet, the starch released by the pasta combines with the chicken stock and thickens it up to produce a glossy, savory sauce that clings to the noodles. The Parmesan brings its own umami complexity to the table, resulting in an incredibly flavorful but low-effort dish.

Chicken Alfredo is classically made with fettuccine noodles because their flat and wide shape provides plenty of surface area for the cream sauce to cling to. However, when making a baked version, smaller pasta shapes, such as rotini, penne, or conchiglie, are a better choice because they soften quickly and can be scooped out of the dish easily for family-style service.

A pinch of nutmeg is the key to the best Alfredo because this warming spice lends the sauce a nutty complexity and aroma. Having said that, there are plenty of other ways to upgrade your next Alfredo sauce if you don't have any nutmeg in your pantry. For instance, you could swirl in some pesto to imbue it with an herby flavor or top the finished casserole with pan-fried pancetta to give it a salty and savory vibe. If you want to boost the fiber content of your dish, consider adding some green veggies towards the end of the cook time. Frozen peas, broccoli, and green beans are incredible for lending both vibrant color and texture. Of course, you can sub the protein too — anything from cooked turkey to leftover brisket from a Sunday roast works well if you're not in the mood for chicken.