Need an easy dinner that doesn’t leave you with a pile of dirty dishes? This chicken and broccoli pasta bake is a great one to keep in your back pocket.
Everything cooks together in one baking dish, so there’s no need to boil the pasta separately or make a separate sauce. Just toss everything in, let the oven do the work, then stir in plenty of cheese before finishing it off.
It’s creamy, cheesy, filling, and packed with tender chicken and broccoli. Basically, it’s comfort food without all the fuss.
Ingredients
- 14 ounces chicken chicken breast, cut into ½ inch pieces
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 8 ounces spiral pasta, uncooked
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups chicken broth or stock, warmed
- 2 cups milk, warmed (any fat percentage works)
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional
- 1 large head of broccoli, or 2 medium heads, cut into small to medium florets
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar or Colby cheese, divided
Directions
Step 1: Get Everything Ready
First, preheat your oven to 390°F. While the oven is heating, season the chicken generously with salt, then sprinkle it with pepper and dried thyme. Give everything a good toss so the chicken is evenly coated with the seasoning.
Step 2: Build the Pasta Bake
Next, grab a 9×13 inch baking dish and spread the uncooked pasta evenly across the bottom. Then, sprinkle the flour over the pasta, making sure you spread it out rather than dumping it all in one spot. This actually helps the flour dissolve into the liquid and keeps you from ending up with any floury lumps. Now, pour the warm milk and chicken broth evenly over the pasta. Add the minced garlic and butter, then give everything a good stir. After that, spread the seasoned chicken evenly over the top. Follow it with the broccoli florets, making sure they’re distributed throughout the dish.
Step 3: Bake the Pasta
Once everything is assembled, cover the baking dish tightly with foil. Place it in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes. If you didn’t warm the milk and chicken broth first, give the pasta closer to 20 minutes.
Step 4: Add the Cheese
After the first round of baking, carefully remove the foil. Give everything a really good stir, making sure the pasta is coated in the creamy sauce and the chicken and broccoli are evenly distributed. Next, add most of the shredded cheese and stir it through the pasta. Then, sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the top.
Step 5: Finish Baking
Now, return the baking dish to the oven, this time uncovered. Bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese on top is golden and bubbly and the sauce has thickened. Keep an eye on the pasta toward the end since oven temperatures can vary. You want the pasta tender, the chicken cooked through, and the top beautifully golden.
Step 6: Let It Rest and Serve
Finally, take the pasta bake out of the oven and let it sit for a few minutes before serving. This gives the creamy sauce a little time to settle and thicken. Then grab a fork and dig in while it’s hot, creamy, and wonderfully cheesy!
With tender chicken, broccoli, and plenty of cheesy pasta in every bite, this chicken and broccoli pasta bake is the kind of comforting dinner that’s easy enough for a busy weeknight.
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