Sometimes we can all use a good shortcut meal. This Hearty Garlic and Herb Alfredo Bake was a recipe I came up with years ago that used a boxed mac and cheese mix as a base for a filling family dinner. The flavor of mac and cheese used originally isn’t being made anymore, but the recipe will work with any similar boxed noodle and cheese mixes! It comes together fast with just a few ingredients and really elevates those boxed mixes. If you’d like to make this recipe all from scratch, just boil your own noodles and try our Guiltless Alfredo recipe.
This easy dinner idea was featured here on Our Best Bites way back in 2013. Kraft sent a film crew to my house and I got to share a little sneak peek into my life, my home, and my kitchen. It’s fun to look back on these early days in front of the camera when my kids were young! Click below to watch that video, and watch for the part where my 2nd grader gets clothes-lined in the back yard (#favoritescene). Then scroll on for recipe details.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Boxed macaroni and cheese – Any brand, any flavor. The original recipe was written for Kraft’s Garlic and Herb Alfredo variety, so if you can find something close to that, that’s great. If you find a good Alfredo option, feel free to add some fresh or dried garlic and some Italian herbs to the mix.
- Cooked chicken – Diced or shredded chicken breast. Rotisserie chicken works well.
- Fresh spinach leaves – Fresh is best. If you do need to use frozen, be sure it’s thawed and all of the excess moisture is squeezed out before adding it to the recipe.
- Marinated artichoke hearts – You’ll find these near the pickled items or near the pasta sauces in your grocery store. They are artichoke hearts packed in herbs and l olive oil.
- Sundried tomatoes – You’ll find these near the artichoke hearts in your grocery store.
- Fresh bread crumbs – For these I just toss a piece of bread in the food processor with a little butter and parmesan. They make the perfect topping that bakes up toasty and delicious.
- Grated Parmesan cheese – This gets added to the breadcrumbs for a savory topping.
- Melted butter – This also gets added to that topping mixture, to ensure those bread crumbs bake up golden and full of flavor.
How to Make a Hearty Garlic and Herb Alfredo Bake
- First you’ll prepare your pasta according to the package directions. Add a little garlic powder and Italian seasoning if desired.
- Then you’ll add the mix ins: cooked chicken, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, and chopped spinach.
- After that gets mixed up, you’ll pop it in some baking dishes (you can do one larger dish or individual ones) and top with a mixture of fresh bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of butter.
- That all goes under the broiler for a quick toast and then dinner is served!
Storing and Other Tips
- Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 2-3 days for best results.
- Add a splash of milk when reheating to help loosen the sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Leftovers are great, but the sauce will soak into the pasta as it sits. I would say this one is best made fresh initially but it makes good lunchtime leftovers! You can certainly prep your add ins and topping ahead of time so everything is ready to go, though.
I probably wouldn’t bother. It’s so quick and easy that it really makes more sense to make it fresh!
Sure. Tuna would be great here. You could even air fry some chicken tenders and chop those up before mixing everything together!
Hearty Garlic and Herb Alfredo Bake
Ingredients
- 1 box Macaroni and Cheese Kraft Garlic and Herb Alfredo Variety, or brand and flavor of choice
- 1 cup cooked diced or shredded chicken breast
- 1 ½ cups loosely packed fresh spinach torn into small pieces
- 6-7 ounces marinated artichoke hearts drained and diced
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil drained and sliced
- 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Prepare Macaroni and Cheese according to package directions. Add chicken, spinach, artichoke hearts, and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir over low heat until everything is combined and heated through.
- Spoon mixture into a serving dish, or 6 individual ramekins. Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, and butter, and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle evenly on top of pasta and place under a broiler just until crumbs are golden and toasted.
Notes
- Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 2-3 days for best results.
- Add a splash of milk when reheating to help loosen the sauce.
Questions & Reviews
I made this tonight with your “guiltless alfredo sauce” and some Trader Joe’s gluten free pasta. It turned out absolutely amazing. The whole family loved it. Thanks for a great, simple dinner recipe.
I’m so happy that there are new versions of Mac and cheese. The orange kind my kids love, but now we can all love it equally. And thanks for showing us your kitchen that I am going to bring a sleeping bag and live in!
Just made this and it was so so good!! Need to stock up on these.
So I am kind of obsessed with this flavor of mac and cheese. Bought some the other day and ate it by myself while my kid was napping shhh don’t tell. Such a comfort food! I definitely want to try this so I can actually feed some of this to my family… if I don’t eat it secretly already. lol!
Cute video! Your house is beautiful and so are you! I enjoyed seeing a bit of your life. I can tell you’re a genuine and kind person. All the best to you!
Made this tonight and my family loved it. I love all your recipes, but the ones that are this fast and easy are just so helpful to me as a busy medical student. Thank you for all your hard work!
Great job on the video! You’re a natural. Can’t wait to try this recipe. Sounds like a simple one my family would like.
This looks delish. I love sundried tomatoes in pasta, so this is right up my alley. I’m a fairly recent mom of 2, I have a 3 year old and a 6 month old, and I’m still getting back into the groove of trying to make my family a nice homemade dinner every night. I appreciate great, helpful semi-homemade meal ideas like this. Can’t wait to try it! Thanks for keeping it real, Kate and Sara!
I have to confess I can’t stand box mac n cheese but I might try this! And thanks for the bread crumbs tip, I always wondered how you could get your own bread crumbs! (embarrassing!!)
Thank you for the reminder that every meal isn’t an OBB from scratch master piece :). I really needed that reminder today. I LOVE your blog and cookbooks and I want to make your stuff every day! But, I’m finding that just isn’t a realistic expectation for my life right now. So thank you for saying that :). Maybe it is okay to have mac ‘n cheese from a box or PB & J for dinner sometimes :).