Description
This Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Pasta recipe is the perfect one-pot dinner loaded with creamy cheese, juicy chicken, tender broccoli, and al dente pasta. Great for family dinners or meal prep, it’s comforting, easy, and full of flavor. Keywords: cheesy chicken pasta, broccoli chicken pasta, one-pot pasta, easy family dinner.
Ingredients
2 cups pasta (penne or rotini)
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, diced
2 cups broccoli florets
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk (whole or 2%)
1 cup chicken broth
1 and 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until just shy of al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add diced chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, melt the remaining butter and add minced garlic. Sauté until fragrant. Stir in the flour to form a paste.
4. Slowly whisk in the milk and chicken broth, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Simmer until the sauce thickens.
5. Add shredded cheddar cheese to the sauce and stir until melted and creamy.
6. Return chicken to the pan, along with the cooked pasta and broccoli. Stir everything together and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes.
7. Serve hot, optionally garnished with more cheese or red pepper flakes.
Notes
This dish works great with rotisserie chicken for a faster meal.
Steam the broccoli slightly before adding if using frozen.
Freshly shredded cheese melts better than pre-shredded varieties.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 460
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 590mg
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 95mg