Combine a bunch of basic ingredients to make chicken and spinach alfredo bake with ingredients that are often found in the kitchen.
Jump to RecipeI love creamy Alfredo sauce. Especially my homemade sauce. But it’s even better when I can use it in a variety of ways to make new favorite meals. This was a meal that we came up with during the COVID-19 pandemic. We were trying to limit visits to grocery stores which meant a lot of “pantry week” meals.
One of those times, I was looking at all the food we had. What needed to be used first? We almost always have some chicken in the freezer. And there was baby spinach in the refrigerator that was going to go bad soon. I tend to have half-full boxes of pasta in the pantry a lot. The boys don’t eat a lot of pasta, so it leaves me with bits here and there.
So, put all that together with some of the cheese we had and we have the ingredients for chicken and spinach alfredo! I decided it needed to be a pasta casserole to make it easier. Plus, there was a lot of it.
Ingredients Options
Chicken
If you prefer, you can also use rotisserie chicken for this meal. Especially if you like both light and dark-meat chicken. Just make sure to pull it from the bones into bite-sized pieces.
Alfredo Sauce
If you want a more creamy sauce, substitute heavy cream for the milk.
Garnish
While there’s already cheese and panko on the top of the chicken alfredo bake, there are a few things you could add.
- Italian seasoning
- Red pepper flakes
- Chopped bell peppers
- Sour cream

Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Step by Step
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 6 oz penne pasta (uncooked)
- 2 oz fresh spinach
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb chicken breast (boneless, skinless)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)
- 6 green onions (chopped)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 1 1/2 tbsp panko
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400F. In a large pot, bring the water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook for about 6 minutes then add the spinach.

Cook for 2 minutes, until the spinach is wilted and the pasta is cooked al dente according to the package directions. Drain and place the al dente pasta and spinach mixture in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle with the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper then add to the pan. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown.

Add the chicken to the pasta mixture.

Lower the heat to medium and place the green onion in the warm pan. Cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in the lemon zest and juice.

Combine the milk, flour, and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese in a bowl.

Add the milk mixture to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.

Add the milk mixture to the pasta mixture and toss to coat.

Spoon the pasta mixture into a casserole dish.

Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and panko.

Bake for about 8-10 minutes.

Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Leftovers
Storage: Cover any leftover chicken alfredo pasta bake in the baking dish with aluminum foil or move to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
Reheating: The best way to reheat the pasta dish is to place it back in the oven for about 5-10 minutes until heated through. Or you can add a small amount of milk or cream and warm it in a saucepan over medium heat.

Recipe
Originally Published On: September 28, 2020
Last Updated On: October 10, 2023

Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Bake Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 6 oz penne pasta (uncooked)
- 2 oz fresh spinach
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb chicken breast (boneless, skinless)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)
- 6 green onions (chopped)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 1 1/2 tbsp panko
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F
- In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil and add the pasta
- Cook for about 6 minutes then add the spinach
- Cook for 2 minutes, until the spinach is wilted and pasta is cooked to al dente
- Drain and place the pasta and spinach mixture in a large mixing bowl
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle with the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper then add to the pan
- Cook for about 8 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through
- Add the chicken to the pasta mixture
- Lower the heat to medium and place the green onion in the warm pan
- Cook for 2 minutes
- Stir in the lemon zest and juice
- Combine the milk, flour, and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese in a bowl
- Add the milk mixture to the pan and bring to a boil
- Cook for 2 minutes or until the sauce has thickened
- Add the milk mixture to the pasta mixture and toss to coat
- Spoon the pasta mixture into a casserole dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and panko
- Bake for about 8-10 minutes, until the panko starts to brown and cheese is melted
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Other Recipes with Alfredo
- Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Bake Casserole
- Tortellini Alfredo Copycat Panera Recipe
- Fettuccine Alfredo
More Chicken Pasta Recipes
- Lazy Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
- Simple Tomato Basil Chicken Pasta Recipe with Hidden Carrots
- White Cheddar Chicken Pasta
- Copycat Cajun Chicken Pasta from Chili’s
- Chicken Tortellini Skillet Dinner with Pasta Sauce
- Dairy-Free Chicken Marsala Pasta
- Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Chicken over Pasta
- Chicken Francese over Angel Hair Pasta
- Chicken Orzo Pasta with Vegetables
- Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Spaghetti Casserole with Chicken and Cheese
- Honey Mustard Chicken with Orzo
- Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Bake Casserole
- Easy Chicken Parmesan
Other Chicken Casserole Recipes
- Spaghetti Casserole with Chicken and Cheese
- Easy Chicken Casserole with Herb Stuffing
- Chicken a la King
- Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Bake Casserole
- Cheesy Rice Casserole with Chicken and Broccoli
- Chicken and Spinach Casserole with Cream Cheese
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Dressing
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Chicken a la Gurnham
- Mini Chicken Pot Pies
Other Mozzarella Recipes
- Super Easy Homemade Fried Mozzarella Sticks Recipe
- Fresh Mozzarella-Topped (Not So) Flatbread
- Crispy Fried Mozzarella Cakes Recipe with Fresh Cheese
- Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatloaf
- Super Easy Pizza Dip
- Cheesy Meatball Skillet
- Homemade Pizza Burgers: The Best Combo of Two Recipes
- Five Cheese Pull-Apart Bread
- Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Bake Casserole
- Thai Basil Pesto Flatbread
- Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Super Easy Pizza Flatbread
- Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Shells
- Fresh Caprese Salad
- Spinach and Artichoke Quesadillas
- Easy Chicken Parmesan
- Kreacher’s French Onion Soup
- Hearty Sausage and Kale Pesto Pizza
- Classic Stuffed Shells
- Quick and Easy Homemade Pizza Bagels Recipe
- Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Chicken and Spinach Casserole with Cream Cheese
- Baked Ziti
- BBQ Chicken Melt with Only 5 Ingredients
- Cheesy Garlic Bread
- Stromboli
- Cheesy Baked Crab Casserole
- Pizza Hot Pocket
- Cheesy Chicken and Spinach Stromboli Ring
- Hawaiian Chicken Wraps
- Cheesy Caper-Stuffed Tomatoes
I love meals like this to take to friends who just had babies! I am totally goingto make this for our next friend who has one!
You’re right, it would be perfect for something like that!
Oooh, this looks super yummy and easy to make. It would be a great meal for next week, I’m going to try it out!
I hope you enjoy it! We loved it here.
This looks absolutely delicious and we’re just entering into cozy casserole season so I’ll be pulling this one out again!
Yes! I love cozy casserole season 🙂
You can’t beat a pasta bake for comfort food. This looks delicious.
Comfort food is the best 🙂
So comforting and delicious. It was a hit with the whole family. Thank you for an awesome recipe.
Yay! I’m glad your family enjoyed it as much as we did.
This is a great recipe to meal prep for the week – comforting and holds up really well as leftovers!
The leftovers are delicious! It’s also great to pack as a lunch to take to work if you have a way to heat it up easily.
I am so keen to try this casserole. It has got my favorite ingredients, and it looks stunning!
It sounds like you will love it then!
I’m a vegetarian so I tried this recipe without the chicken…it came out so delicious, even my meat-loving husband and son ate it and asked for seconds. I prepared a tossed salad as a side dish and we were good to go. We had an amazing meal!
Easy and delicious pasta recipe to make for everyone. I love it, and my husband will def enjoy it.
Yummo! This is the perfect meal for my family and for me. I have five kids so anything I can make that’s easy and will feed an army is always welcome.
I really like the idea of pantry week meals. It’s a really great way to use up the ingredients we have at home and stick to our food budget. This casserole is the perfect comfort food! Have to give this recipe a try soon.
Now this sounds like one of those meals which is just perfect for the colder months. Really warming and hearty. Definitely something I will have to try myself.
This dish comes together in a few minutes, and it makes a delicious supper that goes well with some crusty bread!
This Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Bake Casserole is perfect for dinner. It’s a great option for a busy night.
I love how you make this Casserole. I love the ingredients used too. I cannot wait to try it
We tried this before and it tastes really good. We looking to make it again. Thank you for sharing a tutorial on how to make it.
Drooling over this delicious casserole. Making this soon for dinner.
wow so delicious and easy recipe. Thanks for sharing with us.
Wow that looks absolutely delicious And tasty I would really like to try this awesome recipe
I love a good casserole. I think I even have all the ingredients.
This looks so good! I might make this next week. Thank you for sharing!
Nnnniiiiccceeeee….the sound of chicken and spinach is a great one, in my ears. I must give it a try. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
What a good idea to turn it into a bake. I already know this would be a big hit at my house.
Wow! I have never tried this. Loved this recipe.
Simple to make and SO yummy – that’s how it looks like! Is it true? Will find out at tomorrow’s lunch time 😊 Thanks for sharing!
This is good food, I’m literally drooling here! Looks so yummy 😋
Such a tasty recipe. It became my favor. Gotta try it ASAP
Just made this for lunch, it was amazing, thank you so much.