Chef Tom fires up the Clementino wood fired oven and roasts a half chicken, then cooks up his cheesy, creamy Baked Chicken Alfredo!
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Covering the skillet with a cast iron lid while the chicken roasts traps heat and moisture around the bird, similar to a dutch oven, rather than letting the wood-fired oven's dry heat dry out the skin too quickly
- Leaving the rendered chicken fat behind in the skillet after cooking, then building the roux directly in it, ties the Alfredo sauce's flavor back to the chicken it's about to be tossed with
- Toasting the flour in the fat until just fragrant, but not browned, keeps the roux pale so it thickens the sauce without adding a browned, nutty flavor that would clash with the Parmigiano
- Topping the baked pasta with minced crispy chicken skin, in addition to the mozzarella, adds a textural crunch that cheese alone wouldn't provide
Category
Entree
Cuisine
Italian
Servings
10
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 3 minutes
Calories
990
Chef Tom's Baked Chicken Alfredo recipe creates an unforgettable meal! Learn to perfectly roast a half chicken in a wood fired oven and then smother in a creamy, cheesy Alfredo sauce. Mouth-watering, indulgent and sure to satisfy, all in one!
Ingredients
- 1 half chicken
-
extra virgin olive oil
-
Cattleman’s Grill Italiano Seasoning
- 12 oz dried penne pasta, cooked al dente
-
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced on microplane
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 cups half and half
- 3/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
-
1 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Italiano Seasoning
- 3/4 cup low moisture mozzarella
- 2 tbsp Italian parsley, minced
For the chicken:
For the pasta:
Directions
- Build a fire about 3 logs high in the center of your Clementi Clementino Wood Fired Oven, using small splits of oak wood. When the wood has broken down into coals, slide the fire off to the side of the oven, trapping it against the side wall with the burn grate. Add more splits of wood to maintain at 500ºF temperature reading on the thermometer on the opposite side from the fire. Sweep any ash and debris off of the cooking surface.
- To break down the chicken, cut along either side of the backbone with a sharp chef’s knife or kitchen shears. Remove the backbone. Place the bird skin side down on the cutting board. Cut straight down through the breast bone to halve the chicken.
Pull back the skin, exposing the meat, but do not remove the skin completely. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil for Meat over the chicken and rub over all surfaces. Season the chicken under and over the skin with Cattleman’s Grill Italiano Seasoning.
- Place the chicken in a Lodge 12” Cast Iron Skillet, skin side up. Place a cast iron lid on the skillet. Transfer to the hot oven. Cook until the skin is browned then flip the bird so it is skin side down. Continue cooking with the lid on the skillet until the internal temperature reaches 155ºF-160ºF in the deepest part of the breast, about 45 minutes. Remove the skillet from the Clementino. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
Remove any dark solids from the skillet, leaving the chicken fat behind. Add the butter and extra virgin olive oil for Meat to the skillet. When the fats are melted, add the minced garlic. Place in the oven, uncovered. Cook for about 30 seconds. Add the flour and stir. Continue cooking until lightly toasted, but not yet browned. Remove from the oven and slowly pour the half and half into the skillet, whisking constantly. Return to the oven and bring the liquid up to a gentle simmer. Whisk in the Parmigiano Reggiano and Cattleman’s Grill Italiano Seasoning. Return to the oven and cook just until thickened, then remove.
- Remove the skin from the chicken and set aside. Pull the meat from the bones. Discard the bones and shred/chop the meat.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, Alfredo sauce and chicken. Mix well to coat the pasta in the sauce.
- Transfer the mixture back to the Lodge 12” Cast Iron Skillet. Spread evenly. Sprinkle the grated low moisture mozzarella over the top. Mince the chicken skin and sprinkle over the cheese. Cover with a lid and return the skillet to the Clementino.
- Bake the pasta until bubbling and warmed though, about 10-15 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until browned on top. Remove from the grill.
- Serve the Baked Chicken Alfredo hot.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why cover the chicken with a cast iron lid while it roasts in the wood-fired oven?
The lid traps heat and moisture close to the bird, similar to cooking in a dutch oven, rather than exposing it directly to the oven's dry, high heat the whole time.
Why leave the rendered chicken fat in the skillet before building the Alfredo roux?
Cooking the garlic and flour directly in that fat, rather than a clean pan, ties the sauce's flavor back to the chicken that will eventually be tossed with the pasta and sauce together.
Why toast the flour until just fragrant instead of letting it brown?
A pale roux thickens the sauce without adding the nutty, browned flavor a darker roux would carry — a flavor that would compete with the Parmigiano Reggiano rather than support it.
Why add minced chicken skin on top of the mozzarella before the final bake?
The crisped skin adds a textural crunch that the melted cheese alone wouldn't provide, using a part of the bird that's already been rendered and removed rather than discarding it.
Does pulling the chicken at 155-160°F mean it's fully cooked?
Not on its own — poultry needs to reach 165°F throughout, and this range falls short. The shredded chicken is later mixed into the pasta and baked again for 10-15 minutes, which should carry it past 165°F, but confirm with a thermometer rather than assuming that second bake automatically closes the gap.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
4 out of 5 — a regular oven can roast the chicken in a covered cast iron skillet in place of the wood-fired oven, and the Alfredo sauce and final bake work the same way regardless.
Recipe Highlights
Lid-covered roasting: Traps moisture around the chicken during the initial cook.
Fond-built roux: Ties the Alfredo sauce back to the chicken's rendered fat.
Pale-toasted flour: Thickens the sauce without competing browned flavor.
Crisped skin topping: Adds crunch beyond the melted cheese alone.
Recommended Recipes
Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 9.94 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 990
- Carbs
- 91 grams
- Protein
- 55 grams
- Fat
- 46 grams
- Sodium
- 226 milligrams
