Description
A deliciously creamy chicken and broccoli pasta bake, perfect for a comforting dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 (10 oz) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- black pepper to taste
- 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (12 oz) bag frozen baby broccoli florets
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 (16 oz) box uncooked short pasta
- 3/4 cup half-and-half
- 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Prep: Get that oven heated up to 425°F. Give a 9×13-inch baking dish a light grease – a little cooking spray does the trick. Get your ingredients ready.
- Mix it up: In a big bowl, whisk together the cans of soup and all your seasonings. Slowly blend in the chicken broth until it’s smooth.
- Assemble: Stir in the thawed broccoli, the raw chicken pieces, the dry pasta, and 1/2 cup of that cheese. Make sure the pasta is mostly submerged in the liquid so it cooks evenly.
- Cover & bake (Part 1): Spread the whole mixture into your prepared dish. Cover your dish up super tight with foil. This is the secret – you need to trap every bit of steam to cook that dry pasta at 425°F for 40–50 minutes. You’re looking for the pasta to be almost tender (check it around 40 minutes).
- Stir & cheese (Part 2): Carefully pull it out and remove the foil (watch out for steam!). Give everything a good stir to redistribute the sauce. Stir in the half-and-half and then sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of the cheese on top.
- Finish & serve: Pop it back in the oven, uncovered this time, for another 5–10 minutes. Everything should be cooked through and the cheese all bubbly and perfect. Let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes before you serve it. Don’t skip this – it’s when the sauce ‘sets up’ and gets that perfect creamy texture rather than being soupy. If you scoop it immediately, it’ll be too thin.
Notes
- This recipe can be made with heavy cream or evaporated milk instead of half-and-half.
- Thaw the broccoli completely before adding it to the mix.
- Make sure to check the pasta around the 40-minute mark for doneness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 900mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 70mg