The Scoop
Million Dollar Chicken Alfredo is ultimate comfort food with layers of cheesy goodness, bringing warmth and indulgence to any table.
The idea for this Million Dollar Chicken Alfredo first took shape during a rather tumultuous time in my culinary journey. I had just been laid off from a tech job that paid the bills but left my heart unfulfilled. With a severance check in hand and a pantry filled with ingredients from an unused grocery list, I set out to create a dish that would bring comfort and a sense of indulgence. Little did I know, this creamy, cheesy pasta would become a staple at so many of my gatherings.
Armed with a simple pound of cavatappi, five cloves of garlic, and too much cheese for one human, I set to work. There was a sort of therapy in watching the butter melt in the pan and releasing the heady aroma of garlic. I whisked in the flour, letting the raw smell waft away, drawing comfort from its transformation to a golden paste. Adding basil, thyme, and a touch of red pepper flakes introduced just enough complexity to carry the sauce beyond your run-of-the-mill Alfredo. The combination of chicken broth and half-and-half ensured a rich texture that seemed to promise better days ahead.
When it came to the cheese, I decided more was better and scattered layers of provolone and mozzarella, letting them meld beautifully in the oven. After a twenty-five-minute bake, the golden, bubbly dish had imbued my kitchen with the warmth it so desperately needed. Letting it rest for a few minutes made for perfect slices, while the addition of sour cream added a subtle tang that felt like a culinary inside joke I couldn't wait to share. This recipe has been my go-to when the world feels a bit off-kilter, offering assurance that a bowl of pasta can indeed make things better.
Ingredients
- 1 pound cavatappi pasta
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5-7 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups half-and-half
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cups parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 2 cups chicken, cooked, shredded
- 6-8 slices provolone cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, freshly grated
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
- In large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta 2 minutes shy of al dente, according to package directions.
- Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add the garlic to the butter and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Whisk the flour into the butter mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until golden and the raw flour smell disappears, about 2 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and gradually whisk the half-and-half, the chicken broth, the onion powder, the parsley, the basil, the salt, the thyme, the pepper, and the red pepper flakes into the flour mixture.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a boil, while whisking constantly.
- Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the sauce, whisking occasionally, until it thickens, about 7-10 minutes.
- Transfer the skillet from the heat and whisk the parmesan cheese into the sauce until it melts.
- Stir the cooked chicken and the cooked pasta into the sauce and toss until everything is coated.
- Pour 1/2 of the pasta into the baking dish.
- Top the pasta layer with the provolone cheese.
- Spread the sour cream over the cheese layer.
- Top the sour cream layer with the remaining pasta mixture.
- Top the pasta with the mozzarella cheese.
- Bake until it is bubbly and golden-brown, about 25-30 minutes.
- Let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve.
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