Chicken Cheddar Broccoli Bake

I'm going to start off by saying this dish is TOTALLY worth the effort. I did not plan ahead before making this dish. I ended up using almost every pan I have in my kitchen because of poor planning. SO, take my advice (see below) when preparing this delicious chicken and broccoli noodle casserole, so your experience preparing this meal goes much more smoothly than mine did!

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. egg noodles (half a bag)
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 3 cups chopped broccoli florets
• 1 tsp butter or margarine
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 3 Tbs flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup skim milk
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• cooking spray
• 2 Tbs Italian-style bread crumbs
• 3 Tbs Parmesan cheese, divided

How to:

• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cook egg noodles so they are al dente - about 2 minutes less than the suggested cooking time. Set aside in a large bowl.
• Warm oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. 
• Add broccoli to skillet with some salt and saute. Cover and cook over medium heat, about 3 minutes, until broccoli is softened. Set aside in the bowl with the egg noodles.
• In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add shallot to pot and cook until soft, about 2-3 minutes. 
• Add the flour and a pinch of salt, and whisk together, cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes over medium-low heat.
• Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, stirring constantly until well combined over medium heat - about 30 seconds. 
• Add milk slowly and continue to whisk. Bring mixture to a boil and allow it to thicken over 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
• Add the cheddar and 1 Tbs of the Parmesan cheese. Mix well until cheese melts. Add a pinch of black pepper to season.
• Add the shredded chicken and the broccoli and noodles to the cheese sauce. Mix thoroughly so the chicken, broccoli, and noodles are evenly coated.
• Spray a casserole dish (9x12 inch or so in size) with cooking spray. Pour the chicken mixture into the casserole dish.
• Top the chicken mixture with breadcrumbs and remaining Parmesan cheese.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until breadcrumbs have browned.

Suggestions:

• Use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken to save time here. I boiled my two chicken breasts for 20-25 minutes and then shredded them. My version turned out excellent (so if you have an extra 20 min on your hands, don't hesitate to try this!), but if you're looking to save time, buy a pre-cooked clucker.
• Prep all of your ingredients ahead of time (you know, like you should always do...). Halfway through making my dish, I realized I didn't have any chicken broth in my fridge and instead had to prepare some from bouillon. So, if you have to do this, make sure you prepare it ahead of time.

I assure you, this recipe has all the flavor of a calorie-packed creamy cheese sauce, but without the calories (win!). The sauce is super light, especially since it's made with chicken broth and skim milk (and a hint of butter or margarine). The people you're feeding will have no idea this is a 'skinny' recipe, which is pretty awesome. And this is a good way to get your fam to eat their veggies and protein.

Enjoy!

The original recipe can be found here.