Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Cheesy broccoli chicken pasta bake
Cheesy pasta with chicken and broccoli makes a generous bake, with a garlic-Parmesan crumb topping to scoop through. There's more cheese tucked inside the creamy filling, so the middle has its own appeal.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Original yield
- Serves 8
- Ingredients
- 12 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner
- Primary protein
- Chicken
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 16–30 minutes · Total: 31–60 minutes
- Dish type
- Pasta
A few quick notes
1. Leave pasta slightly underdone
Cook the pasta just shy of done because it continues cooking when the assembled casserole bakes.
2. Reuse the cooking water
Remove the pasta with a skimmer, then use the same water for broccoli and finally the chicken.
3. Rest before cubing chicken
Let the poached chicken rest briefly before cubing it and adding it to the pasta bowl.
Get to know the ingredients
Bechamel sauce
Bechamel coats the cooked pasta, chicken and broccoli before the sour cream and first cheese portion join.
Grated cheese
Half the grated cheese joins the filling; the remainder forms a middle layer between two portions of pasta.
Panko topping
Mix panko with Parmesan and garlic, then moisten with olive oil before scattering over the assembled pasta.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 8. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 10 steps completeMake room for Cheesy broccoli chicken pasta bake
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Give the bake a pause
Let the golden, bubbling pasta bake cool for the stated five minutes before serving it from the dish.
A little more help as you go
Broccoli into the bowl
After blanching the broccoli, move it into the same large bowl holding the slightly underdone pasta.
Season before layering
Season the combined creamy pasta mixture with salt and pepper before dividing it around the middle cheese layer.
A few questions you might have
Is the chicken added raw to the casserole?
No, poach it until cooked through, rest it briefly, then cube it into the pasta and broccoli.
Where does the sour cream go?
Add it to the pasta bowl with the bechamel and half the grated cheese before seasoning and layering.
Does all the cheese go on top?
No, half joins the sauce mixture and the rest sits between two layers of the pasta filling.
How is the breadcrumb topping mixed?
Combine crumbs, Parmesan and garlic, drizzle with olive oil and stir with a fork before sprinkling it over.
What should the finished bake look like?
The directions call for a golden-brown top and bubbling filling, followed by a short cool before serving.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: simply-delicious-food.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
