Every time we visit Disneyland, we make sure to visit Pizza Planet (formerly known as Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port) so we can get Countdown Chicken Fusilli. It is one of my absolute Disneyland favorites. And I recently found the actual park recipe – and it did NOT disappoint. For a moment, I was sitting at a table at the happiest place on earth, you know, instead of my actual dining room table. This recipe truly is a taste of Disneyland. Enjoy!

This is an actual plate of Countdown Chicken Fusilli purchased at Disneyland!

And this is the version of Countdown Chicken Fusilli that I made for dinner last week:

This is Countdown Chicken Fusilli that I made at home.

I made a few changes to the original park recipe based on product availability and my desire to avoid heavy cream. I also halved the park recipe, as the original called for 2 lbs. of pasta, which I felt was a bit much for our family.

I’ve included both my recipe that includes the modifications I used, and the original park recipe below.

Ingredients w/ Bekki’s Modifications:

  • 1 14.5/15 oz. jar Alfredo sauce (I used Prego Homestyle Alfredo)
  • 1/2 cup half n half
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup milk (I used 1%)
  • 1/3 cup grated parmesan (NOT the kind in the green can)
  • 1 T sun-dried tomato (We could only find a jar of sun-dried tomatoes in oil. They worked great.)
  • 1 HEAPING T pesto (I used the Classico brand.)
  • 1 lb. cavatappi noodles (Rotini would work too. I finally found fusilli noodles in the bulk section at my grocery store! I used those the second time we made this.)
  • 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 T olive oil
  • salt, pepper, Italian seasoning to taste

Original Disneyland Recipe:

  • 5 oz Alfredo sauce mix (dry) (I could not find this product anywhere! The jarred Alfredo sauce worked great!)
  • 1 cup heavy cream (Half n half worked great if you aren’t wanting all the fat and calories of heavy cream.)
  • 1 cup low-fat milk
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 oz grated parmesan
  • 1 oz sun-dried tomato crumbles (reconstituted)
  • 3 oz pesto sauce
  • 2 lbs dry fusilli pasta (any spiral-shaped pasta will do)
  • 1 lb sliced smoked chicken breast (My chicken breasts were not smoked, and the dish still tasted just like the park version.)

To Prepare:

Sliice your chicken breasts into think strips (or chunks).

*(You’ll be cooking your chicken in the same pan you prepare the sauce in, so choose a pot or skillet with higher walls.)

Pour a small amount of olive oil into the pan, and saute your chicken until it is cooked through. I seasoned my chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning while it was cooking. When the chicken is cooked through, remove from the pan and set aside. (Do NOT rinse out your pan!)

While your chicken is cooking, start your pasta. Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente or just slightly under, as you’ll want your pasta to cook in the sauce for a few minutes as well. (If finished before you’re ready to add it to the sauce, drain and set aside.)

Pour the jar of Alfredo sauce, the water, the milk, and the half n half into the pan. Add in the pesto and the sun-dried tomatoes. (The tomatoes were in fairly large pieces in the jar I purchased, so I cut them before adding them to the pan.)

Add the chicken back into the sauce. Stir in the parmesan cheese.

Add the drained pasta into the sauce. (I like to let my pasta cook in the sauce for a bit to really coat the noodles and up the flavor!)

Serve and enjoy! My version of the recipe comfortably serves 2 adults, 2 teenagers, and 2 kids with occasional leftovers.