Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake

I was inspired to make this after reading a similar recipe on one of my favourite food blogs, Skinny Taste, a couple of weeks ago.  My hubby loved this, apart from the broccoli... he's not a big broccoli fan. But he was willing to forgive it's presence in his dinner this time after smelling the whole thing cooking.  He was near salivating, watching the timer count down!  

This recipe is filling, tasty and pretty healthy, being low in fat - I worked it out to be 344 calories per serve. I was not well organised today, so it was a juggling act to get everything cooked and ready to go together. But I'm sure you won't have that problem. I think this is a dish the whole family will love... even picky eaters because the veggies are hidden in the delicious sauce. It may seem weird to top with rice crispy cereal, but I love the extra crunchy texture this gives the dish!

Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake

Serves 6

1 tbsp olive oil

400g chicken tenderloin or breast

4 cups of cooked pasta, such as penne or rigatoni

1 cup raw broccoli, chopped

2 tbsp light olive oil spread

2 tbsp plain flour

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 cup frozen chopped onion

1 cup low fat milk

2 cups hot water

1 Massel chicken stock cube

30g shredded parmesan

1/2 cup shredded pizza cheese (tasty, parmesan, mozzarella blend)

1/2 tsp ground sea salt

1/2 ground black pepper

1/4 cup rice crispy cereal, crushed 

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (fan-forced) To start off cooking, boil your pasta according to packet instructions. Drain and set aside in a bowl. 

Cut your broccoli into small bite-size pieces, including the stalks.  Boil in unsalted water until just tender. Drain, rinse with cold water to stop it cooking further, and set aside with the pasta. 

Brown chicken tenders or sliced chicken breast in a little olive oil over a medium heat.  Just until browned on the outside.  The chicken will finish cooking later in the dish.  If you're using chicken tenders, you can break them up into bite-sized pieces using a couple of forks at this point. Set aside.

Next, using the same large saucepan you used to cook your pasta and the chicken, melt the olive oil spread over medium low heat. Add the onion and a pinch of the salt, and sweat the onion until it starts to become transparent. Add the thyme and garlic and stir through.  Heat for a further minute or so.  

Take the pan off the heat and add the plain flour.  Stir this through the melted olive oil spread to start making a roux.  It should become a clumpy, gluey dough-like mixture. Return to low heat, stirring for a minute or so to cook out the floury taste. Add milk, about 1/4 cup at a time, and whisk together to prevent lumps.  You should end up with a thick white sauce.  Crumble in the chicken stock cube and stir, then add 2 cups of hot water, one at a time, whisking in between to prevent lumps.  You should end up with a thinner very chickeny flavoured white sauce.  Add the parmesan and about half of the pizza cheese, and stir to help it mix through as it melts into the sauce. My hubby got very excited at this point!

Now we begin to assemble to dish... Add the pasta and broccoli to the white sauce mixture.  Stir, then add the chicken and mix it through gently.  Season with salt and pepper.  Then pour into a baking dish. Top with crushed rice crispies and the remaining pizza cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the top has gone golden. Serve and enjoy!

The finished dish

Full of juicy chicken and broccoli...

...and rigatoni smothered in a creamy cheesy-chicken sauce.