This Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake is absolutely phenomenal. It's comforting, cheesy, simple to make, and great for a low-effort dinner. Combining chicken and broccoli with a cheddar, mozzarella, paprika, and herby milky sauce with shell pasta and topping the bake with cheese, bacon and parsley results in the most delicious 45 minute recipe.
This chicken and broccoli pasta bake only requires about 20 minutes of prep time and is then placed into the oven for 30 minutes.
If you'd like to add more vegetables into this pasta bake, I'd recommend adding in some chopped courgette (zucchini), mushrooms, bell peppers, or peas.
For those of you looking for more baked or pasta recipes, then you'll love my old fashioned baked macaroni and cheese recipe. For a one pan pasta dish, my lemon boursin one pan pasta is always a winner. And lastly, another chicken and broccoli dish for when you've got some ingredients leftover, my chicken alfredo pasta with broccoli is a family favourite.
Looking for a festive side dish? Check out my brussels sprouts and bacon stir fry seasoned with maple syrup and balsamic vinegar...so good!
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Why you'll love this recipe
Simple: This chicken and broccoli pasta bake only requires a handful of ingredients that you'll either have in your fridge or you can buy easily at your local grocery store.
One Pan: We all love a one pan dish. It means minimal washing up and low effort!
Great for meal prep: This dish makes 4 portions, so you can either double the recipe if you'd like to eat it throughout the week, or if there's only one of you, or two of you, then just save the leftovers for another day!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Garlic: fresh garlic cloves, finely chopped. You could also use garlic granules.
Onion: fresh red onion, finely chopped. You could also use white onion or shallots.
Chicken: I used chicken breast, but you could use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. If you're wanting to make this veggie, I'd recommend adding in chopped portobello mushrooms, or torn extra firm tofu.
Broccoli: Make sure to use all of the broccoli, including the stem. It tastes delicious and adds a lovely al dente crunch. If you don't like broccoli, you could use courgette/zucchini, spinach, peas, or chopped green beans.
Bacon: I've used lardons for this recipe but chopped or cubed bacon bits are also a great option. For a veggie option, you can either use veggie bacon, or smoked tofu, crumbled into little pieces.
Pasta: I've used pasta shells for this recipe. I think they cup the sauce and are so perfect for this recipe.
For the creamy sauce: we're making a take on a béchamel. So you'll need salted butter, plain flour, milk, chicken stock, paprika, rosemary, thyme, Red Leicester, and cheddar cheese.
Mozzarella: For extra cheesiness on the top of our chicken and broccoli pasta bake, grated or fresh mozzarella is the best option.
Parsley: fresh parsley is a great green addition. You could use fresh thyme, or coriander.
Scroll down to the recipe card to see the full list of ingredients.
Step by step instructions with photos
Step 1: Place an oven-proof casserole dish on medium heat and drizzle in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add in your chopped garlic and chopped red onion. Fry for a few minutes until slightly softened.
Step 2: Add your chicken into the pan and fry for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Then, add in your chopped broccoli. Season with salt and pepper, and fry for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Once the chicken and broccoli has been frying for a few minutes, remove and set aside in a bowl.
Step 4: Pour your pasta into salted boiling water and simmer for 5 minutes. Then drain and set aside.
Step 5: Back in your casserole dish, add in your bacon/lardons with another drizzle of olive oil and fry for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Step 6: Preheat the oven to 180C/360F. Using the same casserole dish, on low heat, add in your butter. Once melted, sprinkle in your flour and whisk until a paste forms. Then pour in your milk in quarters. Whisk in-between pours to ensure that the flour doesn't clump up and create lumps. Keep whisking until the sauce thickens. Add in your chicken stock, paprika, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Give everything a whisk, then add in your Red Leicester and cheddar cheese. Whisk. You should have a really cheesy, saucy sauce.
Step 7: Add in your pasta, and chicken and broccoli mixture. Toss so that everything is coated in the sauce. Place in the oven for 20 minutes.
Step 8: Remove your chicken and broccoli pasta bake and top with mozzarella cheese and your bacon bits. Turn the oven onto grill, and grill your pasta bake for 5-10 minutes until golden and slightly crispy.
Step 9: When your chicken and broccoli pasta is golden, crispy, and cheesy, remove from the grill and top with parsley. Divide your bake between 4 plates, and enjoy!
What to do with leftovers
Storage: Leave your chicken and broccoli pasta bake to cool. Then divide into airtight containers and into the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezing: Once your pasta bake has cooled, divide into airtight containers and into the freezer for up to 3 months. When you're ready to eat, leave to defrost/thaw in the fridge overnight before heating it up.
Reheating: If you're storing any leftovers of your dish in your casserole, then turn on your oven to 180C/350F. Cover the chicken and broccoli pasta bake with tinned foil and then into the oven for 20 minutes. If you've stored in airtight containers, gently loosen the lid and place in the microwave until piping hot.
FAQs
For sure, simply replace the chicken with torn extra firm tofu or chunky portobello mushrooms (chopped), bacon with smoked tofu pieces, and chicken stock with veggie broth.
Monterey Jack, gouda, or parmesan would be great!
For sure, just half the recipe ingredients and you'll get a wonderful chicken and broccoli pasta bake for two!
Other recipes you might enjoy!
If you tried this Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thank you!
Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 red onion finely chopped
- 400g chicken breast diced
- 400g broccoli roughly chopped
- 150g bacon chopped into pieces, or lardons
- 200g pasta I used pasta shells (conchiglie)
For your cheesy sauce
- 50g salted butter
- 40g plain flour
- 500ml milk
- 300ml chicken stock
- 100g grated cheddar
- 50g red leicester or Monterey jack, grated
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon thyme dried
- 1 teaspoon rosemary dried
Toppings
- 50g mozzarella grated
- 5g parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Place an oven-proof dish on medium heat and drizzle in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add in your chopped garlic and chopped red onion. Fry for a few minutes until slightly softened.
- Add the chicken into the pan and fry for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Then, add in your chopped broccoli. Season with salt and pepper, and fry for 5 minutes.
- Once the chicken and broccoli has been frying for a few minutes (the chicken won't be cooked), remove and set aside in a bowl.
- Pour your pasta into salted boiling water and simmer for 5 minutes. Then drain and set aside.
- Back in your casserole dish, add in your bacon/lardons with another drizzle of olive oil and fry for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/360F. Using the same casserole dish, on low heat, add in your butter. Once melted, sprinkle in your flour and whisk until a paste forms. Then pour in your milk in quarters. Whisk in-between pours to ensure that the flour doesn't clump up. Keep whisking until the sauce thickens and is smooth. Add in your chicken stock, paprika, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Give everything a whisk, then add in your grated red Leicester and cheddar cheese. Whisk. You should have a really cheesy, saucy sauce.
- Add in your pasta, and chicken and broccoli mixture. Toss so that everything is coated in the sauce. Place in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove your chicken and broccoli pasta bake from the oven and top with mozzarella cheese and your bacon bits. Turn the oven onto grill, and grill your pasta bake for 5-10 minutes until golden and slightly crispy.
- When your chicken and broccoli pasta is golden, crispy, and cheesy, remove from the grill and top with parsley. Divide your bake between 4 plates, and enjoy!
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