Three Cheese Chicken Penne (Easy 30-Minute Bake)

Three cheese chicken penne is a creamy baked pasta dinner made with penne, tender chicken, and a rich sauce built from three melty cheeses. It’s the kind of dish that tastes like a restaurant order but comes together with a handful of pantry staples and one baking dish, which is exactly why it shows up on weeknight rotations across the country. If you’ve had the version at a casual dining chain and wondered how to recreate that cheesy, garlicky flavor at home, this recipe gets you there in about 30 minutes of hands-on time.

What Is Three Cheese Chicken Penne?

Three cheese chicken penne is baked or stovetop penne pasta tossed with seasoned chicken in a creamy sauce made from three cheeses, usually a mix of mozzarella, parmesan, and either provolone or white cheddar. Some versions lean on a jarred alfredo base, others build a quick cheese sauce from scratch with butter, flour, and milk. Either way, the pasta gets topped with extra cheese and often a fresh tomato and basil bruschetta before it hits the table.

The dish became popular partly because of Applebee’s menu version, which uses Asiago, parmesan, and white cheddar melted into a parmesan cream sauce, then finished with grilled chicken and bruschetta tomatoes. Home cooks have been putting their own spin on it for years, swapping in mozzarella and provolone, baking it casserole-style, or keeping it stovetop for a faster meal.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Three Cheese Chicken Penne

This recipe makes about 4 generous servings.

For the pasta and chicken:

• 12 ounces penne pasta
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

For the three-cheese sauce:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1/2 cup shredded provolone (or white cheddar for a sharper bite)

For the bruschetta topping (optional but worth it):

• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Pinch of salt

A few notes on ingredients. Penne is the classic choice because its ridges and hollow center hold onto sauce, but rigatoni or ziti work fine if that’s what’s in the pantry. For the cheese, buy blocks and shred them yourself when you can. Pre-shredded bags are coated in anti-caking starch, which keeps them from melting into the same silky texture you get from fresh-shredded cheese.

How to Make Three Cheese Chicken Penne

1. Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the penne until just shy of al dente, since it will finish cooking in the oven or sauce. Drain and set aside.
2. Cook the chicken. While the pasta boils, season the chicken with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through to 165°F internally. Remove from the pan.
3. Build the cheese sauce. In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute to remove the raw flour taste. Slowly whisk in the milk, a little at a time, until the mixture is smooth. Add the garlic and simmer, stirring often, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, roughly 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Melt in the cheese. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the mozzarella, parmesan, and provolone a handful at a time, letting each addition melt before adding more. This keeps the sauce from turning grainy.
5. Combine and finish. Add the pasta and chicken back into the skillet and toss until everything is coated. If you want a baked finish, transfer to a greased 9×13 baking dish, top with a little extra shredded cheese, and bake at 375°F for 10 to 15 minutes until bubbly and lightly golden.
6. Top and serve. Mix the diced tomatoes, basil, and olive oil for the bruschetta topping and spoon it over the pasta right before serving.

Tips for the Creamiest Three Cheese Sauce

Getting restaurant-style texture out of a homemade cheese sauce comes down to a few small habits. Shred your own cheese instead of using pre-shredded bags, since it melts more evenly. Keep the heat low once the cheese goes in; high heat can cause the proteins to seize up and turn the sauce oily or clumpy instead of smooth. Add the cheese gradually rather than dumping it all in at once, and always add it off direct high heat. If the sauce ever looks broken or grainy, a splash of warm milk whisked in off the heat can often bring it back together.

Salting the pasta water generously also matters more than most people think. It’s the only chance the pasta itself gets seasoned, and it makes a noticeable difference in the final dish even once it’s coated in sauce.

Timing matters too. Pull the pasta a minute or two before it hits full al dente, since it keeps cooking once it’s tossed in hot sauce or baked in the oven. Overcooked penne turns mushy fast once it sits in a creamy sauce, and there’s no fixing that once it happens. If you’re baking the dish, resist the urge to leave it in longer than the recipe calls for just to get more color on top; a quick broil for the last minute or two browns the cheese without drying out the pasta underneath.

Variations and Substitutions

One of the reasons this dish is so popular for weeknight cooking is how forgiving it is.

• Swap the protein. Rotisserie chicken, leftover grilled chicken, or even shrimp all work well in place of freshly cooked chicken breast.
• Change the cheese blend. Asiago and white cheddar give a sharper, more restaurant-style flavor closer to the chain version, while mozzarella and provolone lean softer and stretchier.
• Make it lighter. Use part-skim mozzarella, swap whole milk for 2%, and add a handful of spinach for extra volume and nutrients without much added work.
• Add vegetables. Sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, or roasted red peppers stirred into the sauce add flavor and color without changing the core technique.
• Go tomato-based instead of cream-based. Some home versions swap the cream sauce for marinara or pasta sauce with a bit of cream cheese stirred in, which gives a lighter, tangier result closer to a baked ziti.

What to Serve With Three Cheese Chicken Penne

Because the pasta itself is rich and cheesy, simple sides tend to work best. Garlic bread or breadsticks are the classic pairing and echo what you’d get with the restaurant version. A crisp green salad with a light vinaigrette helps balance the creaminess, and roasted or steamed vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, or green beans round out the plate without competing with the pasta’s flavor.

If you’re feeding a crowd or want to stretch the meal, a light soup course like minestrone or a simple tomato basil soup works well ahead of the pasta without filling people up too early. For drinks, something with a little acidity, whether that’s a sparkling water with lemon or a dry white wine, cuts through the richness of the cheese sauce nicely.

Storing, Reheating, and Freezing

Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Reheating: Warm gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of milk to loosen the sauce, or microwave in short 30-second bursts, stirring between each, so the cheese sauce doesn’t separate.

Freezing: Assemble the pasta bake without adding the bruschetta topping, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking, or bake straight from frozen covered in foil, adding extra time until it’s heated through. Cream-based cheese sauces can separate slightly after freezing, so a quick stir once it’s hot usually brings it back together.

Frequently Asked Questions

What three cheeses go in three cheese chicken penne?

The most common blend is mozzarella, parmesan, and provolone, which gives a stretchy, savory, well-rounded flavor. The Applebee’s version specifically uses Asiago, parmesan, and white cheddar in a parmesan cream sauce. Either combination works, so it mostly comes down to what’s in your fridge and how sharp you want the final flavor.

Can I make three cheese chicken penne ahead of time?

Yes. Assemble the full dish up through the baking step, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 2 days before baking. This makes it a solid option for meal prep or for getting dinner mostly done earlier in the day.

Can you freeze chicken penne pasta bake?

You can. Assemble it in a freezer-safe dish, skip the fresh bruschetta topping until serving day, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before baking for the best texture.

What should I serve with three cheese chicken penne?

Garlic bread, a simple green salad, or roasted vegetables all pair well. Since the pasta is already rich, lighter sides help balance the meal without adding more heavy, cheesy flavors to the plate.

Is three cheese chicken penne the same as chicken alfredo?

They’re closely related but not identical. Chicken alfredo typically uses a single-cheese parmesan cream sauce, while three cheese chicken penne layers in two or three cheeses for a bolder, more complex flavor, and is often finished with a fresh tomato topping that alfredo usually skips.

Three cheese chicken penne earns its spot in the weeknight rotation because it delivers big, cheesy flavor without demanding much technique. Once you’ve made the sauce a time or two, it becomes one of those recipes you can pull together from memory on a busy evening, and it’s easy enough to tweak with whatever cheese or vegetables you have on hand.