Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake
This Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake is absolutely phenomenal. It's comforting, cheesy, simple to make, and great for a low-effort dinner.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 433kcal
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!
Notes
Step-by-Step Photos: My blog post includes helpful step-by-step photos to help guide you through making this recipe so scroll up to see them!
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 433kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 542mg | Potassium: 394mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1258IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 498mg | Iron: 1mg