Description
Chicken Alfredo gets a casserole re-do for easy prep and to make the most of time with friends – it’s in the oven by the time they arrive.
Ingredients
1 pound rotini, rotelle, fusilli, or macaroni; cooked as directed
Sauce
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
10 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets
Crumb Topping
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Once you get the water heating for the pasta, start in on preparing the remaining ingredients. A little trick: at the same time you add the pasta to the boiling water, start the oven preheating to 350°F.
- In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the oil and butter. Stir while the butter is melting, that will keep it from burning and help it to melt faster.
- Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent and lightly browned.
- Add the chicken, garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt. Continue to sauté until the chicken is browned on all sides and just cooked through.
- Turn the heat down to simmer and stir in the milk and heavy cream. Heat just until starting to steam; don’t let it boil or it will scald.
- Slowly add a handful of the mozzarella at a time, stirring to melt it completely after each addition. Repeat until all the mozzarella is used.
- Add the Parmesan and stir, making sure it’s all melted in as well.
- Add the broccoli and simmer for just another minute or two to heat it through. Remove from the heat.
- When the pasta is cooked and drained, put it in a casserole pan, pour the sauce over it, then mix well.
- Combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning, and then sprinkle evenly over the top of the casserole.
- Bake, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and cheese sauce is bubbling.
Notes
It’s really easy to double or triple this and put it in a larger baking dish – just allow an extra 10-15 minutes for each additional amount you make. (So tripling it would take 50 minutes an hour in the oven.) You also might need to cover it for the first 20 minutes when making a larger amount so you don’t burn the topping.
Keywords: pasta, chicken, casserole, main dish