This Chicken Pesto Alfredo is comfort food at its finest! This yummy freezer meal is bursting with flavors of chicken, pesto, bacon, cheese, spinach and tomatoes all tossed together in a creamy white sauce. Make it ahead of time and pop it in the oven for a weeknight dinner!
My Baked Chicken Pesto Alfredo Freezer Meal is one that really doesn’t get old. Plus it’s all real food, baby! Nothing processed. The flavors of this Italian dish mesh so well together and even though there are some “fancier” ingredients (says my kids) even my pickiest of eaters will eat it.
This baked chicken pesto alfredo has chicken, pesto, bacon, cheese, fresh spinach, and some tomatoes all mixed together in a delicious white sauce. This pasta is da bomb! That’s right I said “da bomb” and I meant it. I think I will take it even further and say that my baked chicken pesto alfredo freezer meal is da bomb diggity!
INGREDIENTS
This chicken pesto alfredo pasta is made with chicken, basil pesto (make your own or use store-bought!), bacon, cheese, spinach, and tomatoes all mixed together in a simple white sauce of milk, chicken broth, flour and butter. The topping is to die for with bacon, bread crumbs, cheese and a touch of olive oil. Delicious!
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN PESTO ALFREDO PASTA
Make a simple white sauce by melting butter in a pan over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour over melted butter and whisk constantly for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Then add in chicken broth and whisk quickly together. Cook over heat until it’s thick and bubbles up. Set white sauce aside.
Cook penne pasta according to package directions. Drain noodles and then dump them into a large mixing bowl.
Add in white sauce, cooked chicken, cheese, spinach, crushed tomatoes, milk, pesto, and 1/2 cup of bacon. Mix well.
Pour pasta into a 9×13 baking dish.
In a separate bowl mix parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, remaining bacon and olive oil.
Cover pasta with bread crumb mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
CAN YOU FREEZE CHICKEN PESTO ALFREDO?
Yes, it is so easy! Before baking cover with foil, label, and freeze.
To cook it, thaw it in the fridge the night before, remove foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
CAN I PORTION IT OUT INTO SMALLER DISHES?
Yes, I love to do this! If you want smaller portions, divvy it out in small loaf pans or little aluminum lasagna pans. Remember to label it with the recipe name and cook time and temperature. Store in the freezer and bake in the oven for a quick dinner.
The baking times might be a little bit less, but not much. Start watching it about 15 minutes before the time listed to see if it is done.
WHAT OTHER RECIPES CAN YOU MAKE WITH CHICKEN?
- Bake this delicious Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas
- Make this Homemade Chicken Taquitos with Cilantro & Pepper-Jack Cheese
- Prepare this Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Make this Instant Pot Chicken Teriyaki
- Prepare this Seriously Easy Chicken Pot Pie
The next time you make this chicken pesto alfredo recipe, I would love to see it! Snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #happymoneysaver and tagging me @happymoneysaver!
Chicken Pesto Alfredo Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 16 oz penne pasta – cooked al dente and drained
- 4 cups cooked chicken cubed
- 4 cups shredded Italian cheese blend 16 ounces
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
- 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 3 tbsp basil pesto
- 3/4 cup crispy bacon- finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Make a simple white sauce by melting butter in a pan over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour over melted butter and whisk constantly for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Then add in chicken broth and whisk quickly together. Cook over heat until it’s thick and bubbles up. Set white sauce aside.
- Cook penne pasta according to package directions. Drain noodles and then dump them into a large mixing bowl.
- Add in white sauce, cooked chicken, cheese, spinach, crushed tomatoes, milk, pesto and 1/2 cup of the bacon. Mix well.
- Pour pasta into a 9×13 baking dish.
- In a separate bowl mix together parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, remaining bacon and olive oil.
- Cover pasta with bread crumb mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
MAKE IT A FREEZER MEAL
- Before baking cover with foil, label and freeze. Thaw, remove foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Loved this recipe?
Make sure to follow on Instagram @happymoneysaver and on Pinterest @happymoneysaver for more money savin’ recipes!
This recipe was first posted on August 26th, 2016, but has been updated with new photos and better-detailed instructions on September 16th, 2021.
About Karrie
Food is my love language. But so is saving money. So I like to combine the two a lot and make thrifty make ahead and freeze meals to save time. Because life is busy, and freezer meals can come to the rescue for all of us. And yes, they actually CAN taste good. Read more...
Comments & Reviews
robin says
is this a good recipe for baking ahead and then portioning out to freeze?
Karrie says
Yes you can do that, however I prefer to bake the food when I’m ready to eat it as it just tastes a little bit fresher. But you can do what you like to save time!
Kate says
I haven’t made it yet, but it does sound delicious. My question is though, where does the milk go? I’m assuming in the white sauce but can’t actually find it outside of the ingredient list.
Bess says
Made this yesterday into 3 8×8 pans – my 15 month old and my husband loved it! 1 pan fed us 3 perfectly, the other 2 are in the freezer for another day!
Tess S. says
I am making this freezer meal for a third time! There are so many delicious flavors going on, and the pesto and the cheeses! It is a hit in our household.