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
Think I could make this with zucchini noodles and guiltless albedo sauce or would the zucchini turn into mush?
You could do kind of a variation with all of the same flavors and ingredients. I would just avoid baking the whole thing. Just toss it all together at once and eat right away- it would be yummy!
This was REALLY good!!! Couldn’t find the garlic and herb Alfredo variety kraft dinner though, I don’t know if it’s maybe not available in Canada?? Anyways I bought the cheesy Italian hamburger helper instead and found some garlic Alfredo sauce at Superstore. I mixed in just enough of the Alfredo sauce after cooking up the hamburger helper to make it nice and saucy and then followed the recipe from there. AMAZING!!! Thanks for the great recipe!!
I’m just wondering if you think this would freeze well?
I probably wouldn’t freeze this one, I think it would dry out since the sauce is fairly light.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was a HUGE hit! Thanks for the quick dinner recipe! Also, your grey sweater in your family photo is adorable. Where did you find it? Thanks!