Description

An easy and tasty chicken bake making the perfect family meal. Made with chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken (or store-bought cooked and sliced chicken) and basic pantry ingredients, this recipe can be made ahead of time and is perfect for freezing. It is a super creamy, super cheesy Chicken Alfredo bake!

Ingredients

300g raw pasta (I used screws but you can also use penne or shells)
6 tablespoons butter (or use 2-3 TBS olive oil)
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon fresh Thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups cream
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt (add more to taste)
1 cup Parmesan cheese (divided)
1 cup Cheddar cheese
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded * or 500-600g cooked chicken

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Instructions

In a large pot, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Cook and cube your chicken using suggestions in the notes above.
On medium heat, in a large pot or saucepan, melt the butter and then add the garlic, 1/2 tablespoon fresh Thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried) and the 1 teaspoon of Mustard.
Allow to fry for a minute and then add the wine and stir through.
Add the flour and whisk to combine, making sure there are no lumps.
Add the cream, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring after each addition and allowing the sauce to thicken slightly.
Add the milk and salt and stir through.
Add 1/2 cup of the parmesan (leave the remaining 1/2 cup for later) and cheddar cheese and stir through to allow the cheese to melt, lowering the heat slightly.
The sauce should have thickened by now. Add more salt to taste, if necessary.
Now combine the sauce, chicken and pasta (Use approx. 6 cups of cooked pasta – there may be some left over but you don’t want too much pasta and not enough sauce, so be the judge in this regard). Stir through and then add to a baking dish.
Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan on top of the pasta.
Place the baking dish in the oven and grill for 10-15 minutes until the Parmesan is brown and crispy.

Notes

* If you are using a Rotisserie chicken, try and shred enough to make up 3 cups of chicken breast. If cooking from raw, fry the 3-4 chicken breasts in a little oil/butter, sprinkle with a teaspoon of Paprika ( or 1/2 tsp Cayenne for spice), and once the pan starts to look a little dry, add a tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon white wine. Fry just until the inside is cooked through. Shred into small pieces and set aside.