You love our famous Chicken-Alfredo Baked Penne, and now we’ve made an equally delicious casserole that is inspired by the original, but cuts the calories (45 percent per serving!) for those times you want a creamy, cozy casserole without all the guilt. A scratch Alfredo sauce made with Neufchâtel cheese, a punch of broccoli and chopped chicken help lighten up this dish without sacrificing any flavor. Plus, we added a panko bread crumb topping for extra crunch!
Lightened-Up Chicken-Alfredo Baked Penne
- Prep Time 30 min
- Total 1 hr 15 min
- Ingredients 13
- Servings 8
Ingredients
- 8 oz uncooked penne pasta (about 2 1/3 cups)
- 1 cup Progresso™ Panko Italian style crispy bread crumbs (from 8-oz box)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup Progresso™ chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 package (8 oz) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), cubed
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
- 1 package (12.6 oz) frozen broccoli florets, thawed
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 oz)

Make With
Progresso Broth
Instructions
-
Step1Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.
-
Step2Cook pasta as directed on box; drain. In small bowl, mix bread crumbs and olive oil; set aside.
-
Step3Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, heat broth, half-and-half, garlic powder, salt and pepper over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes, or until mixture is hot and starting to bubble around edges. Add cream cheese; beat constantly with whisk 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from heat; add Parmesan cheese, beating until no lumps remain.
-
Step4In large bowl, mix cooked pasta, chicken, thawed broccoli, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and the sauce mixture. Carefully stir until well mixed; transfer mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese; top with bread crumb mixture.
-
Step5Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through and bubbling around edges. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
460
Calories
21g
Total Fat
28g
Protein
40g
Total Carbohydrate
3g
Sugars
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories
- 460
- Calories from Fat
- 190
- Total Fat
- 21g
- 33%
- Saturated Fat
- 10g
- 50%
- Trans Fat
- 1/2g
- Cholesterol
- 75mg
- 26%
- Sodium
- 1170mg
- 49%
- Potassium
- 290mg
- 8%
- Total Carbohydrate
- 40g
- 13%
- Dietary Fiber
- 2g
- 11%
- Sugars
- 3g
- Protein
- 28g
% Daily Value*:
- Vitamin A
- 20%
- 20%
- Vitamin C
- 15%
- 15%
- Calcium
- 35%
- 35%
- Iron
- 10%
- 10%
Exchanges:
2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 High-Fat Meat; 1 Fat;Carbohydrate Choice
2 1/2Tips from the
Pillsbury Kitchens
{{tipItemHeadingFormat.replace('{0}',props.index + 1)}}
© 2025 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved