If you’re looking for a delicious way of getting more broccoli into your diet then this Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake is it! Tender al dente pasta, shredded rotisserie chicken and chopped broccoli florets, all covered in a flavoursome homemade sauce and then topped with cheese and baked until golden brown. This recipe is a winner and one that the whole family will love!
What’s to Love About Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake
Using humble and easy to find ingredients and taking just one hour to throw together, you really can’t beat this delicious baked casserole. It’s also a great recipe for using up that leftover chicken. In my opinion, this creamy chicken and broccoli pasta bake is the ultimate comfort food, perfect for cold nights. This dish has everything it needs to be a complete meal, chicken for protein, veggies and fats!
- allergy friendly – this recipe is gluten-free (with the option to use gluten if you prefer), dairy-optional, egg-free and nut-free. There is no heavy cream in this recipe, which makes it easier on the gut!
- easy to make – with only 15 minutes of prep time, this recipe comes together in just one hour and is really simple to make.
- delicious – the whole family will love this creamy pasta meal! It’s the ultimate comfort food while still delivering on nutrition!
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
Below is a list of all of the simple ingredients that you will need to make this delicious dinner recipe. I’ve also listed any ingredient notes and possible substitutions. You can find the ingredient quantities and the full recipe in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- pasta – to keep this recipe gluten free, I’ve used a gluten-free pasta. You can use whatever pasta you prefer, I’ve used rigatoni but you could also use macaroni, whole wheat pasta, penne or farfale (bow-tie) pasta.
- butter – for a dairy free option you can swap the butter for a dairy-free butter or olive oil (olive oil would be the healthier swap). I’ve used salted butter but for a lower sodium option you can use unsalted butter.
- brown onion – for a low FODMAP option, you can swap the brown onion for finely chopped leeks.
- garlic – for a low FODMAP option you can omit the garlic.
- flour – I’ve used buckwheat flour as a gluten free option but you can use wheat flour if preferred, just make sure it is all purpose flour.
- milk – to reduce the amount of dairy in this recipe I have used soy milk, you can use regular milk if preferred.
- chicken stock – you can use either chicken stock or chicken broth. If you have time you can even make your own homemade chicken stock.
- dijon mustard & wholegrain mustard – mustard adds so much flavour to the cream sauce.
- dried thyme – feel free to swap for Italian herbs or dried rosemary or you can swap for fresh herbs like parsley or oregano if you have some to use up.
- sea salt flakes & cracked black pepper – add the pepper to taste.
- baby spinach – I love adding baby spinach to wilt into the sauce. The baby spinach can be swapped for kale.
- broccoli – broccoli can be swapped for cauliflower. You can also add in other vegetables like frozen peas, asparagus or corn.
- chicken – I’ve used a rotisserie chicken but you can cook up some chicken breast to shred. I love using a cooked chook as it saves so much time.
- mozzarella cheese & cheddar cheese – I love using a mix of cheeses so you get the flavour from the cheddar cheese and then the stringy pull of the mozzarella cheese. You could even add some parmesan cheese in there for some extra flavour!
How to Make Broccoli Chicken Pasta Bake
Follow the step-by-step instructions below to make this easy yet delicious dinner!
Start by cooking the pasta. Fill a large pot or saucepan two thirds full with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add salt to the water and then the pasta and cook until al dente. Pour the pasta into a colander to drain and set aside.
Tip: I love to drizzle a little olive oil over the pasta to stop it from sticking together.
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While the pasta cooks, make the creamy sauce. Heat a large skillet or large shallow casserole pan to a medium heat. Add the butter and melt and then add the onions and sweat down. Next, add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant.
Add the flour and stir to combine. Turn the heat to low and add about 1/3 of the milk and whisk straight away until creamy. Add another 1/3 of the milk and whisk, making sure not to get any lumps. Add the remaining milk and whisk. Stir as the sauce thickens and repeat this process with the chicken stock. Once the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, turn off the heat.
Add the dijon and wholegrain mustard, thyme, salt and pepper to the sauce and whisk to combine. Now add the baby spinach and stir through to wilt.
Add the shredded chicken, chopped fresh broccoli florets and the pasta and toss to coat everything evenly in the sauce. The pan will be really full but it will all fit once stirred through the sauce. Sprinkle the grated cheeses over the top and then transfer from the stove to the oven to bake in the oven until golden brown.
Tip: make sure you are using a pan that is oven safe. If you don’t have an oven safe pan, you can transfer everything into a large baking dish or casserole dish to bake in. This is my favourite casserole dish.
Storage
You can store the leftovers in the pan with the lid on or covered with foil for up to 4 days. Reheat before eating. Alternatively, transfer to an airtight container to store in the fridge for up to 4 days. If storing in a container, reheat in the microwave for around 2 1/2 minutes per serve.
Prep Ahead
If you want to get ahead and make some freezer meals then this recipe is a great option! Once you toss the pasta, broccoli and chicken through the sauce, transfer to a large baking dish and top with the grated cheese. Cover with cling film or foil and freeze for up to 4 months. To bake, remove from the freezer and defrost before baking for around 30 minutes. You will need to cover the top with foil to prevent the top from burning (it will take longer to bake through when defrosted as everything will be cold, as opposed to making it fresh where everything is already warm when it’s going into the oven).
Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Chopping Board
- Garlic mincer or microplane
- Whisk
- Large Casserole Pan or large saucepan
Ingredients
- 500 grams gluten free pasta
- 50 grams butter
- 1 medium brown onion , finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic , peeled and minced
- ¼ cup buckwheat flour
- 1 ½ cups soy milk, or milk of choice
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
- 500 grams cooked chicken, shredded
- 1 head broccoli , roughly chopped; stem diced
- 60 grams baby spinach
- 1 cup mozzarella , grated
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F fan forced.
- Fill a large casserole pan with water ⅔ of the way up. Add a few big pinches of salt and bring to a boil. When the water is boiling add the pasta and stir. Boil the pasta until soft and al dente. Once cooked, carefully strain into a colander and return to the pan.
- While the pasta is cooking, add the butter to a large, shallow casserole pan on a medium heat. Once melted, add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- Add the flour to the pan and stir to combine with the melted butter, onions and garlic. Pour in a third of the milk and whisk straight away. Add another third and whisk and then the final third and whisk until there are no lumps. As the sauce starts to thicken, add the chicken stock and continue stirring until smooth and creamy with no lumps. The mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
- Add the wholegrain mustard, Dijon mustard, dried thyme, salt and pepper to the sauce and stir to combine. Add the baby spinach and stir through to wilt the spinach. Once the spinach is wilted, turn off the heat.
- Add the shredded chicken and broccoli to the pan and toss through the sauce until well combined.
- Add grated mozzarella and cheddar to the top of the casserole. Place the pan into the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
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