Check out this twist on the classic Alfredo Our Chicken Alfredo with Bechamel sauce skips the heavy cream but not the flavor. It’s all about that balance – creamy, saucy, and perfectly punctuated with a golden-brown layer of mozzarella. It’s a white sauce pasta bake Ziti Chicken Alfredo and just might just become your new go-to comfort dish. This Chicken with bechamel sauce is a homemade Alfredo sauce without heavy cream.
Indulge in the crave-worthy taste of Alfredo without the heavy cream, with this Chicken Alfredo with healthy Bechamel sauce. A classic Italian favorite, this pasta bake is sure to be a hit with your family or guests. This easy-to-follow recipe also has useful tips and tricks for preparing ahead of time and for freeze-storage.
Baked pasta recipes are just the bomb. We love them because they make life so much easier because they can be assembled ahead of time. But of course they are delicious, we are pasta lovers, all things Italian go over well here at the Ranch.
Sometimes we use rotisserie chicken in place of the grilled chicken and it makes this Chicken Alfredo recipe extra easy. And this is one of those recipes we have on hand to use when we fire up the grill and grill numerous chicken breasts at one time.
This post may contain affiliate links which means if you purchase we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Ready to bring Italy to your kitchen with our Chicken Alfredo Ziti Bake? It comes with a lighter twist using a bechamel sauce instead of the traditional heavy cream. Enjoy it fresh from the oven or freeze it for up to 3 months for those times when you just want a satisfying, home-cooked meal. Let’s start cooking and make your pasta night extra special.
Homemade Alfredo sauce without heavy cream or bechamel sauce
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 cloves garlic chopped, very fine
- 7 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat
- Add the garlic and saute one minute, stirring occasionally
- Sprinkle with the flour and stir to combine, continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes to cook the flour
- Add the chicken broth and whisk until mixture starts to thicken, add milk and continue to cook and whisk until thickened
- Stir in parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper
- remove from heat and add chicken
Since you will need 12 cloves chopped garlic for this sauce, we have two items that make the job so much easier for you.
Garlic peeler–it’s just a rubber tube that looks like a manicotti. The clove is placed into the tube and rolled and the peels are separated easily from the meat of the garlic.
Garlic Chopper– it’s not your average garlic press. Twist to chop up to four peeled cloves of garlic at a time.
Usually Alfredo sauce uses a heavy cream but we make it with a rue that has all the flavor but is so much easier. It’s probably more of a bechamel sauce but I’m sure you will love it as much or more. No matter what you would like to call it, both ways uses an amazing white sauce, ours is just easier.
Chicken Ziti White Sauce Pasta Bake:
-
While making your white sauce, cook the ziti according to package directions.
-
Drain the pasta and return to stockpot and cover to keep warm.
-
Pour your white sauce mixture over the ziti and gently stir to combine
-
Pour half of the mixture into a greased 9 X 13 baking dish
-
Sprinkle evenly with half of the mozzarella cheese, layer the remaining pasta mixture evenly on top and add the remaining cheese evenly over the top of the pasta.
-
Bake uncovered in a 375-degree oven for 25 minutes until cheese is melted and the top just starts to turn a golden brown
-
Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve!
This easy Chicken Alfredo baked ziti is made from scratch and is one of our favorite recipes here at the Ranch. It’s loaded with garlic which adds so much flavor to this white sauce pasta bake.
And we usually assemble this Easy Chicken Alfredo early in the day and 25 minutes before we are ready to serve dinner, pop it into the oven. Sometimes we double it for a future freezer meal by assembling an additional one in a freezer pan. Then cover with heavy-duty aluminum foil, freeze and it’s good for 3 months.
Other Pasta Recipes you might enjoy:
Click HERE to save this ziti chicken with bechamel sauce to Pinterest
Easy Chicken Alfredo
Ingredients
- 16 ounces ziti
- 2 1/2 cups grilled chicken cut into bite size pieces
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 cloves garlic chopped very fine
- 7 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups parmesan cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
- chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
For the Pasta
- While making the Alfredo Sauce, cook the ziti according to package directions.
- Drain the pasta and return to stockpot and cover to keep warm.
Alfredo Sauce:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat
- Add the garlic and saute one minute, stirring occasionally
- Sprinkle with the flour and stir to combine, continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes to cook the flour
- Add the chicken broth and whisk until mixture starts to thicken, add milk and continue to cook and whisk until thickened
- Stir in parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper
- Remove from heat and add chicken
- Pour mixture over the ziti and gently stir to combine
- Pour half of the mixture into a greased 9 X 13 baking dish
- Sprinkle evenly with half of the mozzarella cheese, layer the remaining pasta mixture evenly on top and add the remaining cheese evenly over the top of the pasta.
- Bake uncovered in a 375-degree oven for 25 minutes until cheese is melted and the top just starts to turn a golden brown
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve!
Nutrition
Debbie
Tuesday 2nd of November 2021
Recipe was easy, but made a lot. Instead of baking in a 9x13 I used 2 8x8 pans and will freeze one.
Evelyn
Thursday 4th of November 2021
That would be great for our household since there is just the two of us. Great idea.
Michelle Meche
Tuesday 26th of May 2015
I've had this pinned forever. Just finishing it up for supper tonight. Holy cow. If my stomach would have let me, I'd have eaten half the pan myself!
Debi @ Adorned From Above
Wednesday 22nd of October 2014
Hi Evelyn,This looks delicious. I would really love to eat some if this. Thanks so much for sharing with Adorned From Above's Link Party.Debi
Jamie Sherman
Monday 20th of October 2014
I could totally go for some of this cheesy goodness! yum-o!
Angela LeMoine
Monday 6th of October 2014
Congrats on being featured on The Wednesday Roundup Link Party this past week! Not only are you featured but also pinned to our features pinterest board {http://www.pinterest.com/anglemoine/the-wednesday-roundup-features/}... we'd love to have you stop by again this coming Wednesday! ~Angela @ LeMoine Family Kitchen