My Grandma’s 4-Ingredient Dinner Is Pure Comfort Food

According to Grandma Patty, it’s “everything you need on your plate,” all in one.

Chicken Alfredo pasta bake with broccoli in a casserole dish

Mark Beahm / Simply Recipes

Why Make This

  • For a complete, cozy dinner, you only need pasta, rotisserie chicken, broccoli, and Alfredo sauce.
  • The recipe is great for feeding a crowd—it serves eight.
  • Boil the pasta, toss the ingredients together, and bake.

Growing up, Sundays were for family. Over the course of the day, my grandma’s house would fill up quickly with my immediate family and, at times, an army of small dogs. Between the gossip, football, and Lifetime movies, there were many mouths to be fed. 

While my grandmother would never consider herself a cook, she does have a reserve of recipes for just such occasions. Her favorites? The meals that she claims have “everything you need on your plate” in one concoction. This chicken Alfredo casserole is one of her classic go-tos. 

The brilliance here really does lie in the dish’s simplicity. With just four ingredients, you have a dinner that can feed a family for several days. Penne pasta provides the carbs, rotisserie chicken brings the protein, broccoli gives it a green veggie pop, and a good Alfredo sauce ups your flavor. 

According to my grandma, one solid scoop of this casserole and you have a complete meal.

Tips for Making Grandma Patty’s 4-Ingredient Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake

  • The big flavor bomb for this dish comes from jarred Alfredo sauce, so go with a trusted brand. I prefer Rao’s Four Cheese Alfredo Sauce to amp up the cheesy profile without having to add another ingredient to my shopping list. 
  • Any shorter pasta shape, like fusilli or farfalle, can easily replace the penne in this recipe. 
  • Not a broccoli fan? Try using Brussels sprouts, peas, or cauliflower instead. As long as your veggie of choice can be cooked in 7 minutes of boiling, it will work here.
Chicken Alfredo pasta bake with broccoli served in a dish and a bowl

Mark Beahm / Simply Recipes

4-Ingredient Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake

Prep Time 8 mins
Cook Time 27 mins
Cooling 15 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Servings 8 servings
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt

  • 1 pound penne pasta

  • 1 pound broccoli florets

  • 1 (4 to 5-pound) rotisserie chicken, meat removed and shredded

  • 1 jar (15 ounces) Alfredo sauce, such as Michael’s of Brooklyn, Carbone, or Rao’s

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Cook pasta and broccoli:

    Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Season the pasta water with the salt, then add in the penne. Give the pasta a good stir to ensure it isn’t sticking together. Cook for 3 minutes, then add the broccoli and stir again.

    Cook until the penne is very al dente and the broccoli is tender, about 4 minutes more. Reserve about 1 cup of the starchy cooking water before draining the pasta and broccoli in a colander in the sink. 

  3. Mix ingredients, then fill the casserole:

    Pour the cooked penne and broccoli back into the large pot. Add the shredded chicken, Alfredo sauce, and reserved pasta water and mix thoroughly. Pour the contents into a 9x13-inch casserole dish or baking pan and smooth into an even layer with a spoon or spatula.

  4. Bake:

    Transfer the casserole to the oven and bake until the top layer has started to brown, about 20 minutes.

  5. Serve:

    Let the casserole cool at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

    To store leftovers, wait until the casserole has cooled significantly, at least 1 hour, before covering the dish and moving it back to the fridge for up to 4 days. Or, you can store individual portions in airtight containers. To reheat, transfer to a serving bowl and pop it into the microwave.

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    Baked chicken Alfredo pasta with broccoli in a casserole dish with a spoon

    Mark Beahm / Simply Recipes

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
585 Calories
28g Fat
27g Carbs
57g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 585
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 28g 36%
Saturated Fat 8g 39%
Cholesterol 250mg 83%
Sodium 1105mg 48%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 57g
Vitamin C 38mg 191%
Calcium 100mg 8%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 960mg 20%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.