Happy Monday! Well yes it is Monday but here in NJ we finally have a nice sunny morning and it made my run earlier so much more enjoyable. Today I’m sharing with you an easy meal I made last week that my family really enjoyed! Its super easy too so perfect for a weeknight meal! Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Noodle Bake is packed with flavor thanks to an easy garlic & herb cheddar sauce tossed with al dente egg noodles, shredded rotisserie chicken and tender broccoli florets. Its topped with some Italian seasoned breadcrumbs and baked until golden. A simple salad on the side and dinner is set!
There are certain items I tend to always have on hand… like some sort of pasta, in this case egg noodles, a hunk of cheese, a veggie and some sort of chicken. This is one of those dishes that really can be tailored to what you have on hand! This could easily be turned into a turkey, rice and gruyere bake using the same method and subbing a few ingredients. Thats what I love about cooking, it shouldn’t be overly complicated especially when we’re talking weeknight meals!
Like I mentioned before, a lot of the great flavor for this dish comes from the cheddar that I used- a garlic & herb cheddar!! Its amazing how many fantastic flavored cheeses are available, especially when it comes to cheddar! One of my favorites happens to be the garlic & herb and I think for a dish like this, it is just perfect!! The sauce is very basic {something good to know how to do because the possibilities are endless!}… it starts simply with a roux which is just butter and flour. Some slightly warmed milk, lots of cheddar and a little salt and pepper and thats all there is to the sauce. This is a great family friendly meal!
{NOTE: I use 1 LARGE pot to make each element then everything gets stirred back into the same pot before going into the baking dish- less clean up!}
- 1½ cups shredded cooked chicken breast {I used store bought rotisserie chicken}
- 2 broccoli crowns, cut into small florets
- ½ stick unsalted butter
- ½ cup flour
- 10 oz garlic & herb cheddar, small dice
- 3 cups milk {slightly warmed, I used 1%}
- 12 oz wide egg noodles
- salt & pepper
- ¼- 1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- Preheat the oven to 385 degrees.
- Cook the broccoli in a large pot of boiling water until just tender, drain with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Place the egg noodles in the same pot of boiling water and cook about 3 minutes shy of the package cooking time. They will finish cooking in the oven. Drain and set aside.
- Using that same pot {all water dumped}, over medium low heat add in the butter and melt. Once the butter is melted which in the flour and cook for a minute.
- Stir in the milk and continue stirring until the roux is incorporated and smooth. Simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened.
- Add in the diced cheddar and stir until smooth. Season with a little salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
- Add the chicken, broccoli and noodles into the cheese sauce. Stir until incorporated evenly. Pour the mixture into a baking dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumb and spritz a little olive oil over top to help the breadcrumb brown nicely.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes.
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Leslie
I should’ve had this for dinner tonight. Yum! I love meals like this, it’s so easy to make them and even easier to eat them.
Angela LeMoine
It’s a GREAT one!!! Hope you give it a try and enjoy it as much as we did.
Culinary Flavors
This is the perfect family meal! Share some love around!
Angela LeMoine
That’s so kind, thank you! We certainly enjoyed it
peter @feedyoursoultoo
Such comfort food. This is so up my alley. I could eat the whole pan myself and I am not kidding.
Angela LeMoine
Thank you! Oh I know that feeling! It’s a great one and hard to control the portion size haha!
taranoland
How delicious, this one is a keeper of a recipe!!
Angela LeMoine
Thank you! We really love it
christine (@foodyschmoody)
I love dishes like this for weeknights. I, too, always have those ingredients on hand since they’re so versatile.
Angela LeMoine
Exactly! It’s a great basic recipe that you can really use in so many variations
dcclark13
Yum, yum, yum – looks so good, what a wonderful meal!!!
Angela LeMoine
Thanks so much!
pattyanderson54p
This is definitely a great family meal. As long as you have some basics you’ve proven that you can toss together a delicious weeknight meal for the family.!
Angela LeMoine
Yes! This is a great basic recipe that really can be tailored to what you’ve got on hand
mealplanmaven
Bet your family gobbled this up Angela! Love the addition of broccoli for added veggie power!
Angela LeMoine
They did, it turned out so delicious!
Florian @ContentednessCooking
Looks fantastic! I love broccoli!
Angela LeMoine
Thank you, it’s delicious!
Camila
Looks absolutely delicious Girl!!! I so need to try this, we are huge fan of broccoli and I have never tried making a bake like this with it!!! Great idea!
Hugs and XOXO
Angela LeMoine
Thank you Cami!!! This was a very big hit with the family!