Hen and Broccoli Pasta Bake (The BEST Creamy Recipe)

This Hen and Broccoli Pasta Bake is a comforting and hearty dish that mixes tender, juicy rooster, broccoli florets, and pasta, all baked in a creamy, tacky sauce. Cooked in a single pan, that is the right meal for busy weeknights that the entire household will love! Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake

With regards to a pasta bake this one is difficult to beat. It’s deliciously creamy, tacky dish full of tender items of broccoli floret and seared chunks of rooster. I discover that the largest concern with creamy pasta dishes is that they dry out and the sauce modifications texture if it sits too lengthy. This isn’t an issue with this rooster and broccoli pasta bake, it stays creamy and scrumptious for days after baking, so it’s an awesome dish to make and maintain within the fridge for simple meals for your loved ones all through the week. That is additionally an awesome dish to make and convey for somebody who’s below the climate or has a brand new child.

Why You Will Love This Hen and Broccoli Pasta Bake

It requires easy substances which can be accessible at any native grocery retailer.
Who doesn’t love an entire meal cooked in a casserole dish, prepared in half-hour?
This creamy consolation meals might be made a few days forward for simple meal prep.
You’ll love how customizable this straightforward casserole is through the use of your favourite greens.
This creamy rooster broccoli pasta bake can simply be modified to be dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, Paleo and Keto

Elements You Want

Hen breast: You should use boneless, skinless rooster breast or boneless, skinless rooster thighs. Utilizing leftover rooster can be an awesome choice.
Butter: For dairy-free choices, you need to use vegan butter, olive oil, and avocado oil.
Seasonings: A scrumptious mix of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, sea salt, and black pepper makes the rooster extremely flavorful. Examine beneath for spice modification ideas.
Penne pasta: I really like penne pasta for this recipe, however different good choices are ziti, farfalle, rigatoni, or your favourite short-cut pasta.
Broccoli florets: I like to recommend chopping the contemporary broccoli into tiny items so it cooks evenly, and also you get a chew of broccoli unfold evenly all through. It’s also possible to use frozen broccoli.
Recent garlic: Finely mincing the garlic will launch all of the scrumptious flavors. It’s also possible to use pre-minced garlic for added comfort.
Flour: You should use common flour or gluten-free flour to make this thick and creamy.
Entire milk: Entire milk will give a scrumptious, wealthy, creamy taste to this rooster and broccoli pasta recipe, however you need to use any milk, particularly dairy-free.
Heavy cream: It’s also possible to use half-and-half or canned coconut cream as a dairy-free choice.
Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan is to not be skipped, for my part. It offers a robust, umami cheese taste that’s to die for! It’s also possible to use dairy-free Parmesan cheese.
Mozzarella Cheese: Shredded mozzarella cheese is a light and creamy cheese that blends very well with all of the flavors. It’s also possible to use white cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack.
Recent Parsley: A garnish of freshly chopped parsley is scrumptious and offers a lovely colour pop.

Kitchen Instruments You Will Want

Casserole/Baking Dish
Massive Pot or Dutch Oven
Colander
Reducing Board
Sharp Knife
Wood Spoon
Colander
Massive Bowl

How you can Make This Hen and Broccoli Pasta Bake

Preheat the oven and flippantly grease a baking dish.
Lower the rooster lengthwise into two items. In a small bowl, stir collectively the seasonings. Generously season the rooster throughout so they’re properly coated.
Add the butter to a nonstick skillet on medium warmth. Add within the uncooked rooster and cook dinner till golden brown in colour, after which flip and cook dinner till the rooster is cooked by way of. Set the rooster apart on a plate.
Deliver a big pot of salted water to a boil. Add within the pasta and cook dinner till three minutes earlier than finished, add within the broccoli florets, and proceed to cook dinner till the pasta is al dente. Pour the pasta and broccoli right into a colander.
To the pot, add the butter and soften over medium-high warmth. Add the garlic to cook dinner for one minute, after which whisk within the flour. Pour within the milk and cream, salt and pepper, and whisk till it begins to thicken. Add in 1 cup of parmesan and 1 cup of mozzarella and stir till the cheese has melted into the sauce.
Lower the rooster into small bite-sized items.
Add the broccoli, pasta, and diced rooster to a big bowl. Pour the sauce excessive and stir till properly mixed. Pour the combination into the baking dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese on prime. Switch to the oven to bake for about quarter-hour till the pasta is bubbly and the dish is golden brown on prime. Take away from the oven and garnish with chopped parsley.

How To Modify

You should use rooster thighs as a substitute of rooster breasts. And for an added layer of comfort, you need to use pre-cooked rooster, like leftover rotisserie rooster. You’ll simply need to combine it with all of the spices for the complete taste.
Get inventive along with your spices! Add spice to it with cayenne or chili powder, and swap up the herbs. Strive a mixture of Italian seasoning like basil, thyme, or rosemary for scrumptious outcomes.
Strive including different veggies, like bell peppers, mushrooms, cauliflower, inexperienced beans, or asparagus, to call a couple of.

Dietary Customizations

To make this gluten-free, gluten-free pasta or grain free pasta will work nice, nevertheless it won’t work as properly for meal prep as a result of the consistency can get bizarre after a day or so. Additionally, you need to use one-for-one gluten-free flour or tapioca flour, and will probably be thick and creamy identical to you need it.
Swap up the milk in any means that you just need to for the cream sauce. You should use almond milk, coconut milk, or cashew milk to make it dairy-free.
If you wish to use totally different cheese, attempt white or common cheddar cheese. You may get fancy and use Asiago or Pecorino Romano for the Parmesan swap.
Skip the Hen to make this vegetarian

Superior Prep

Making this rooster and broccoli pasta bake prematurely is a good way to save lots of time on busy days. You possibly can even make a double batch and freeze one for a straightforward weeknight dinner in a while. Observe the recipe steps in keeping with the recipe card beneath. As soon as every part is mixed within the baking dish, cowl it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Retailer the assembled dish within the fridge for as much as 2 days or within the freezer for as much as 3 months earlier than baking. If you’re able to cook dinner, preheat the oven to 400 levels F. Take away the plastic wrap or foil and bake for 15-20 minutes or till the dish is heated by way of. Notice…if it was frozen, you’ll need to thaw it within the fridge a day or so prematurely.

Storing Leftovers

Deliver the leftovers to room temperature earlier than storing them in an hermetic container within the fridge. They’ll final for 3-4 days within the fridge, or for an prolonged time, you may retailer them within the freezer for as much as 3 months. Remember to wrap it properly with plastic wrap or retailer it in a freezer-safe container and label it properly. To reheat for subsequent time, heat within the oven at 350 levels F for about 20 minutes, or till warmed by way of. It’s also possible to microwave particular person servings for a minute or two. It’s possible you’ll want so as to add a splash of milk or rooster broth to deliver the creamy sauce again to life.

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In case you make this Hen and Broccoli Pasta Bake recipe let me know within the remark part beneath, I might love to listen to what you assume or take a photograph and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I really like seeing your images!