The Costco chicken alfredo pasta is something we buy about once a month when we are in the mood for an easy pasta dinner. The quality of the ready to cook dinner is a little hit or miss but, in general is pretty good.
Keep reading and we will cover the cooking instructions for this meal and answer some of the most commonly asked questions about the chicken alfredo.
Review of the Pros and Cons
This meal kit has it’s ups and downs.
On the Positive Side
The things that this meal have going for it are:
- It is an easy meal to prepare for nights when you are too tired to cook from scratch.
- The meal is ALWAYS available in the warehouse so it is a dependable meal solution.
- There is plenty of food in the meal.
- The pasta tastes pretty good.
On the Negative Side
The knocks against this meal are:
- You can make this from scratch for less money.
- High calorie meal.
- Chicken quality is inconsistent.
- The sauce is acceptable but a little bland.
Overall Judgement
Even though this meal has some flaws we think the pros outweigh the cons and buy the pasta on a regular basis. The tasty meal is a familiar and comforting part of our dinner rotation.
Cooking Instructions
The instructions for cooking the chicken alfredo are:
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- Remove the clear plastic lid.
- Cover the meal with aluminum foil.
- Place on a cookie sheet on the center rack of the oven.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes until an internal temperature of 165F is reached.
We have found the cooking time of 60 minutes to be pretty reliable. We also like to take the aluminum foil off during the last 5-10 minutes to let the cheese brown up a little.
Taste Test!
Usually the chicken alfredo is very good. The pasta is consistently tender and the sauce is rich, creamy, cheesy and satisfying. This tastes like the same alfredo sauce that Costco uses for their Mac and Cheese.
The wild card in the equation is the chicken.
Sometimes the chicken is tender and juicy which makes the overall dish spectacular. This happens about 90% of the time.
Sometimes the chicken is dry and tough and we end up eating around it and just enjoy the pasta and sauce. Even when the chicken isn’t great this meal is still much better than Costco’s Shepherd’s Pie.
The last one we cooked had the dry chicken and, when I went back and looked at some of the pictures I took for this article, I could see through the lid that the chicken looked dry right from the start. Next time I buy this I will look a little harder at the package and not just grab the first one I can reach.
How to Doctor Up the Pasta
If you want to doctor up this dish then there are a couple of things you can do.
- Serve the pasta with a nice Caesar salad.
- Top the pasta with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano after it has cooked.
- Add diced sun dried tomatoes.
- Dust with red pepper flakes.
- Add 1/2 cup milk, cream or chicken stock to the pasta before cooking.
Calories in the Meal
One serving of the chicken alfredo meal (about 7.5 ounces) has the following calories and nutritional information:
- Calories: 310
- Fat: 17 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
- Sodium: 580 mg
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Protein: 17 g
The meal isn’t as loaded in fat and salt as I expected. The meal isn’t exactly low calories but this is pasta in a cream sauce so it goes with the territory.
Serving Ideas
The chicken alfredo typically comes in a tray that holds a little over four pounds of food.
If you are just serving the chicken alfredo for dinner then plan on feeding four people.
If you are serving the alfredo with a couple of side dishes then you will have enough to feed six people. Some side dishes that would go well with this dish include:
Garlic Bread: A classic side dish that complements the creamy flavors of chicken alfredo pasta perfectly. You can make garlic bread by spreading butter and minced garlic on slices of bread, toasting them in the oven, and serving them warm.
Caesar Salad: A crisp and refreshing Caesar salad with romaine lettuce, croutons, Parmesan cheese, and Caesar dressing is a great side dish to balance out the richness of the pasta. You can pick up one of these in the same deli cooler where you find the pasta.
Roasted Vegetables: Roasted vegetables, such as asparagus, broccoli, or carrots, make a tasty and nutritious side dish. Simply toss the vegetables in olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and any desired herbs or spices, and roast them in the oven until they are tender and slightly caramelized.
Caprese Salad: A fresh and colorful Caprese salad with ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella cheese, and balsamic glaze is a light and flavorful side dish that goes great with the creamy pasta dish.
Mushroom Risotto: A creamy mushroom risotto can be a luxurious side dish that pairs well. The creamy texture and rich flavors of the risotto can complement the creamy sauce of the pasta. Here is a link to a great recipe for this side dish from AllRecipes.
Costco Chicken Alfredo (Kicked Up!)
Ingredients
- 1 tray Costco Chicken Alfredo About four pounds
- 1 jar Newman's Own Alfredo Sauce Optional
- 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese Optional
- 1/2 cup Diced Sun Dried Tomatoes Optional
Instructions
- Remove plastic lid from the tray of chicken alfredo.
- Pour the Newman's Own Alfredo sauce evenly across the tray and stir lightly to mix (If Using, Optional)
- Scatter the diced sun dried tomatoes across the top of the tray (If Using, Optional)
- Cover the tray tightly with aluminum foil.
- Place the tray onto a baking sheet.
- Put the baking sheet with the tray into a 400F oven and bake for 50 minutes.
- Remove the aluminum foil from he tray and bake for 15 more minutes.
- Remove the alfredo from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Serve the chicken alfredo, topping with additional grated Parmesan cheese as desired, along with sides of choice such as a salad, garlic bread or steamed broccoli.
Storing the Pasta Meal
You can safely store the pasta dish in the refrigerator for four days past the “Sell By” date marked on the lid without any notable loss of quality.
If you need to keep the meal longer than this then your best bet is to put it in the freezer where it will last for about three months before freezer burn becomes an issue.
You can cook the meal directly from frozen but add another 45 minutes onto the total cooking time.
Price and Location of the Pasta
The alfredo meal is Item Number 40249 and is located in the refrigerated deli cooler in the back of the store with the other prepared meals like the massive chicken pot pies. This meal does not appear to be seasonal as Costco always seems to have them in stock.
The meal currently costs $3.99 per pound. You get around four pounds of food per meal so expect to pay in the $16-$18 range for the full tray.
