Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake
This easy creamy Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake is perfect for a flavorful, filling weeknight meal. Made with an easy, mouthwatering homemade sauce, flavorful chicken breast, and perfectly cooked broccoli, this baked pasta provides over 10 servings and is perfect for feeding a crowd or meal prep!
For more easy, cheesy chicken dishes, try my Cheesy Pan Seared Chicken next!
Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta is already a phenomenal dish, but when you finish it in the oven, this elevates the flavors even more. Now you have ultra-luscious, cheesy pasta with tender chicken and broccoli topped with a warm and bubbly layer of mozzarella cheese. I promise you, your family will devour this dish!
@onestopchop Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake #pasta #baked #chickenandbroccoli #onestopchop ♬ original sound – OneStopChop
The creamy sauce is made completely from scratch with a few simple ingredients. It may be tempting to purchase store-bought sauce, but I encourage you to try this recipe and make your own. The best part is that it comes together easily and leaves you with a cheesy sauce that coats all the pasta, chicken, and broccoli — no dry pasta bake over here!
Ingredients You’ll Need For The Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: I like to slice my chicken breast in half so that it cooks more evenly, results in juicy chicken, and I am able to spread it out more so that there is chicken in every single bite!
- Vegetables: Fresh broccoli florets and spinach provide a vibrant green pop to the pasta and some added nutrients.
- Pasta: I like to use rigatoni pasta. Feel free to use your favorite pasta noodles. Penne, Cannelloni, and Ziti are great options. Use whole wheat pasta, regular pasta, or gluten-free pasta.
- Spices: For spices, I use garlic and herb seasoning, all-purpose seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
Ingredients For The Creamy Pasta Sauce
- Onion and Garlic: Diced onion and minced garlic are sauteed first. I use six cloves of garlic, but you can always add more or less depending on your preference.
- Butter: Use salted or unsalted butter. If using salted butter, taste the sauce once it’s done and add salt as needed.
- All-purpose Flour: After sauteing the onions and garlic, you will add flour to make a simple roux.
- Chicken Broth and Heavy Cream: This is the base for the sauce. It provides creaminess and lots of flavor.
- Shredded Cheese: Remember, this is a super cheesy, flavorful sauce. I mix three different kinds of cheese: mozzarella, pepper jack, and parmesan.
How do you make this chicken and broccoli pasta bake?
- Start by seasoning the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic and herb seasoning, all-purpose seasoning, and smoked paprika.
- Cook the chicken: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sear your breast on each side for 2-3 minutes. After the first flip, toss in 2 Tbsp of butter and baste your chicken breasts. Remove and place in 350° oven to finish cooking for 5-7 minutes or until chicken reads 165 degrees F. Remove and set aside. Rest 5 minutes at least before slicing into bite-sized pieces.
- Make The Cheesy Sauce: In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium-low and toss in your onions and saute for 1-2 minutes, then add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Then, add the flour, mix well, and saute for about 1-2 minutes. Next, slowly pour in the broth to deglaze the pan, stirring continuously. Then, stir in the heavy cream slowly. Over medium-low heat allow your cream to begin to reduce, about 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in half your cheeses in your cream sauce.
- Prepare Your Pasta and Veggies: Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Steam the broccoli until it is slightly tender.
- Assemble The Pasta Bake: Start by mixing the spinach, broccoli, and pasta into the creamy sauce. Add half of the sliced chicken and the remaining cheese to the pasta sauce and mix well. Grab your baking dish or casserole dish and transfer the mixture to the dish. Add the remaining chicken on top and top with extra cheese.
- Bake The Pasta: Bake uncovered in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes. Remove once the cheese is melted and bubbly and browned to your liking. Finish with more fresh shredded Parm and fresh chopped parsley for garnish. SERVE AND ENJOY!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE THIS DISH ON FACEBOOK!
Substitutions and Recipe Variations
- Chicken Options: Instead of using chicken breast, you could use boneless chicken thighs. If you want to skip making the chicken all together, use a rotisserie chicken and cut it into bite-sized pieces to use in the dish.
- Vegetable Options: Want to sneak in more veggies? Add peas, chopped carrots, cauliflower, corn, or asparagus.
- Want to make this cheesy chicken broccoli bake pasta gluten-free? Use your favorite gluten-free pasta noodles and use gluten-free all
- Don’t feel like making the sauce from scratch? If you are short on time and do not want to make the sauce from scratch, you can use store-bought alfredo sauce. You will most likely need to use up to two jars to make sure your chicken broccoli pasta casserole is nice and saucy.
FAQs
Is this pasta bake freezer friendly?
It certainly is! Store any leftovers in a freezer-safe container and place it in the fridge for up to 2 months. When ready to enjoy, let it defrost in the fridge overnight first. Then, bake it in the oven to warm up, and serve!
What is a good side dish with chicken casserole?
Because this chicken pasta bake is filled with veggies, protein, and carbs, it is a complete meal in one! If you want to pair it with a side, I recommend a light salad or sauteed veggies, like asparagus or zucchini.
Storage and Reheating
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To rewarm, place a portion on a microwave-safe dish and rewarm for 60 seconds, or until warmed through. You can also rewarm the casserole in a preheated oven at 350° for about 5-10 minutes, or until warmed through.
I Hope You Enjoy This Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake Recipe!
If you try the recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe, and let me know what you think in the comments. Leave a quick review & star rating ★ below! Take pictures, tag #onestopchop, and share them with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest! I love seeing my recipes come to life in your kitchen
More Recipes To Try!
- Chicken Parmesan Meatball Sliders
- Creamy Cilantro Lemon Chicken
- Easy Creamy Chicken And Rice
- Marry Me Chicken Recipe
Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1 Box of Rigatoni Pasta 16 oz
- 3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts split in half
- 2 cups Broccoli Florets
- 1 cup Fresh Spinach
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion diced
- 6 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1/4 cup Chicken Broth
- 2.5 cups Heavy Cream
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter divided (2 TBSP each)
- 3 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
- Garlic and Herb Seasoning as desired
- All Purpose Seasoning as desired
- Smoked Paprika as desired
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese shredded
- 1 cup Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack Cheese shredded
- 1 cup Freshly Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Start by seasoning the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic and herb seasoning, all-purpose seasoning, and smoked paprika.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sear your breast on each side for 2-3 minutes. After the first flip, toss in 2 Tbsp of butter and baste your chicken breasts. Remove and place in 350 °F oven to finish cooking, about 5-7 minutes or until chicken reads 165°F when checked with an instant thermometer. Remove and set aside. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes at least before slicing.
- In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium-low and toss in your onions. Saute for 1-2 minutes, then add your garlic and saute for an additional 60 seconds. Coat with the flour, then mix to combine and cook the flour for another minute or two. Deglaze by mixing in chicken broth and then stir in your heavy cream slowly. Over medium-low heat allow your cream to begin to reduce for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in half your cheeses in your cream sauce.
- Boil your pasta until just before Al dente and strain. Steam the broccoli a little until slightly tender. Add in the spinach to the cream sauce along with pasta, and broccoli. Mix well to combine. Chop up half your chicken and add that in as well. Then, add the remaining cheese and stir well to combine.
- Place in a baking dish and add the remaining chicken (sliced) and more cheese on top. Bake in 350°F oven for about 20-25 minutes. Remove once the cheese is melted and bubbly and browned to your liking. Finish with more fresh shredded Parm and fresh chopped parsley for garnish.
This was pretty easy to make very clear instructions plus the video helps beginners in cooking or an aid for any cook. Being a seasoned cook and baker. I added my own twist to the recipe I added fresh mushrooms because we love them in my family, which I sautéed with the onions, I also used skinless, boneless thighs. It’s a wonderful dish the flavors were outstanding. I will add this to my recipes. It made enough I used for tonight’s dinner and another I froze for a later date. To complete this meal I added fresh bread and fresh fruit. Please keep the recipes coming.
Thank you so much for this feedback! I am so happy that you like the recipe and I love when folks can make it their own like you did!
where did you purchase the pan or skillet?
Many of my products are available on my Amazon Storefront here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/onestopchop_. Many of the pans that I use are actually from the brand HexClad which can be purchased here: https://hexclad.com/. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Is one quart of chicken broth correct?
I definitely don’t think it’s right. I added a quart to my sauce last night, because I read the recipe as I was making it and not watching the video and it took me forever to get a thick sauce because of that!!!! I’m guessing it should of said like a cup or a 1/2 cup.
Thank you so much for this feedback! I have corrected the recipe! I do always make more chicken broth than what I need in case I need to thin the sauce out but the measurement was incorrect. I appreciate you bringing this to my attention.
I can cook and never mess up a recipe, the flavor is good but I did one quart of chicken broth and the sauce was not thick as shown on the video. I think I will use less broth next time and season the sauce.
I’m so glad that you tried the recipe, and yes, please feel free to modify any of my recipes to how you would like it
Is there a reason to not dice the chicken before seasoning and cooking?
I normally cut up my chicken at the end because half of it will be diced while the remaining amount is sliced. Cooking it first allows me to get the same cook on all the chicken before I cut it up. However, you can dice it up first and then season it if you want all the meat diced. I hope that helps, but please let me know if you have more questions!
Absolutely wonderful recipe. I’m an alright baker but never really cook. I found your recipes on TikTok and this one just sounded amazing. My family doesn’t really like spinach so I substituted with some green bell peppers and lots of broccoli. I added a little kick to the chicken as well and it smelled divine. This was my first time making a roux or homemade cream sauce but your recipe made it seem easy. The smells were heavenly. I added a lot of garlic since we are heavy garlic eaters. It was amazing. Thank you
Thank you so much for your support, and I am so glad you liked this recipe!
hey next time please write the amount of grams the box is . thank you
Thank you so much for your suggestion! I updated the recipe to show that the box of pasta I used was 16 oz.
Planning to make this dish soon. It looks amazing. Please tell me what brand garlic and herb seasoning do you recommend?
Thank you so much for reaching out to me! Regarding seasonings, I normally use Morton’s brand seasonings like Nature Seasoning, Cajun Spice, Smoked Paprika, All Purpose, and Lemon Pepper. I hope this helps!
I am a true pasta lover and this Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake recipe is now one of my favorites. I followed the video step by step, minus the spinach, and it was delicious! Thanks for sharing.
This came out great Added a dash of cayenne on the chicken for a hint of spice. I’ll definitely make this again! Thanks for sharing!
I made this dish for my Saturday family gathering which consisted of 15-20 people and EVERYONE loved it. It was such a personal favorite that I plan on serving it at my 50th birthday bash which will have a minimum of 60 people there. My daughter in law thought I was going to cook curry chicken and her taste buds was watering for that, but after she tasted this dish she was very much satisfied and went for seconds. Tonight I am making this dish with chickpea pasta for a healthier alternative. I will let you know how it taste.
To be continued………
Thanks for sharing this recipe 🙂
One of the BEST pasta dishes we’ve ever had! No way can we eat pasta from a restaurant again after tasting this! The leftovers were super creamy and not all oily and buttery like the leftovers from a restaurant.
Making it again tonight and I cannot wait!! I’ve also made your cajun chicken pasta which was also spectacular! Thanks for helping me look like I’m a chef 😉
This dish is A1. I switched it up a little with the ingredients I had on hand. I used similar seasonings, only 2 cups of milk (use the 2.5), & 1 different cheese, I also forgot the parsley. For the pasta I used the Banza chickpea pasta. I also used less cheese because I ran out. Regardless, it was still FIRE. Even my somewhat picky 4 year old was asking for 3rds. I think it’s a versatile dish where you can switch up the cheeses & the seasonings & it’ll still be delicious. Def will try as written. Do your mouth a favor & make this dish!
This dish is A1. I switched it up a little with the ingredients I had on hand. I used similar seasonings, only 2 cups of milk (use the 2.5), & 1 different cheese, I also forgot the parsley. For the pasta I used the Banza chickpea pasta. I also used less cheese because I ran out. Regardless, it was still FIRE. Even my somewhat picky 4 year old was asking for 3rds. I think it’s a versatile dish where you can switch up the cheeses & the seasonings & it’ll still be delicious. Def will try as written
This looks delish and can’t wait to make it! I’m wondering, is 1 cup of spinach accurate? Sure looks like more in the video.
You can definitely add more spinach if you would like. It depends on your preference, but you’ll want to have at least 1 cup that’s in the recipe.
Very tasty! Seemed like a lot of work, but was definitely worth it. I’ve been watching your videos and everything always looks so good – this is the first recipe I’ve actually tried. Looking forward to trying another one. Thanks for sharing!
This is fire. Perfect for the cool weather. Super comforting.
Can you make this casserole ahead and refrigerate overnight before baking?
Absolutely! The dish should cook up just as well, and that’s a bit time saver to make it up ahead of time.
I love this recipe. Everyone loved it and I will definitely make this again!
My family enjoyed this dish for dinner and we are making it again 5 months later 😋 so Thank you Dave !