Does this reheat well?

Yes! Store individual portions of leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. (I even ate it on the fifth day!) To reheat: add an ice cube or splash of water, cover, and microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring at the one-minute mark. The ice cube or water provides moisture and helps restore moisture so your sauce remains cheesy and creamy like when it was fresh.

Can I use a different pasta?

Yes. Smaller pasta shapes like small or medium shells, pennette, cavatappi or fusilli work best. Use whole wheat pasta if you prefer.

How can I make this gluten-free?

I haven't tried this with gluten-free pasta but I'd recommend using brown rice pasta. Unfortunately chickpea or legume-based pastas do not work in this recipe.

Can I use frozen broccoli?

I haven’t tried this method but it would probably be fine. Frozen vegetables have more moisture, so I would decrease the liquid by 1/2 cup. If you try it, report back how it worked out for you!

Could I use a different type of cheese?

Any mild, melty cheese will work- try Monterey jack or mozzarella cheese.

What could I serve with this?

I love a big green salad, garlic bread and/or sautèed green beans.

Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake (easy and healthy!)

Description

This easy cheesy chicken and broccoli pasta bake is the ultimate comfort food! Barely any chopping, balanced, and loaded with flavor—perfect for weeknights and leftovers!

Ingredients

Scale

8 oz elbow macaroni
2 cups whole milk
1 cup chicken broth
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
3 cups (14-16oz) cooked chicken, diced
3 cups (10oz) broccoli florets
6 oz white cheddar cheese, grated, about 2 1/2 cups total
parmesan cheese, for topping

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a 9×13 casserole dish, add the 8oz macaroni pasta, 2 cups whole milk, 1 cups chicken broth, 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¾ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and a pinch of red pepper flakes, if using.
Give everything a good stir- this part is important so your macaroni doesn’t stick to the pan! Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the macaroni and stir it. It’ll still seem like a lot of liquid, but when combined with the cheese and other ingredients it’ll turn into a thin sauce that coats everything perfectly. Add the 3 cups of chicken, 3 cups of broccoli florets, and all but about ½ cup of the cheese. Stir until everything is well combined, the broccoli is moistened and the cheese is mostly melted. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the entire dish and return to the oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
Serve hot with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and crack of black pepper.

Notes

Update 1/31/25- based on reader feedback I’ve adjusted the broth from 1 ½ cups to 1 cup and the milk from 2 ½ cups to 2 cups. For best results, I suggest sticking with a macaroni pasta shape, as that is the type of pasta this recipe was developed with. If you add the broccoli, chicken and cheese and the pasta bake seems a little dry, add the additional ½ cup broth or milk.

I strongly recommend using seasoned, cooked chicken for best results. You can use rotisserie chicken but the flavor will not be the same. I have not tried this with raw chicken, but if you do use raw chicken reduce the liquid by at least 1 cup (ie 2 cups milk and 1 cup broth) and add the chicken in the first step with the pasta.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

Refer to the above blog post for process photos, expert tips, and answers to frequently asked questions.

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Nutrition

Serving Size: 2 cups
Calories: 423
Sugar: 7.8 g
Sodium: 685.3 mg
Fat: 14.7 g
Carbohydrates: 39.1 g
Fiber: 2.6 g
Protein: 32.8 g
Cholesterol: 79.7 mg