Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Chicken Broccoli Casserole Recipe-As Requested (Off Topic)

As requested, here is the Chicken Broccoli Casserole I came up with. I was trying to recreate one my roommate made in college. I thought I had the recipe but when I went to fetch it, I did not.

Anyway, this is the simplest incarnation. I tend to vary it based on what I have on hand but this is the way I made it last night, which was the easiest way so far.

Ingredients:
2-3 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 cups chicken breast, chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 TBS garlic
8 oz whole wheat or whole grain rotini pasta
1 cup chicken broth or 1-2 TBS of chicken bullion and 1 cup water
2 cans of 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup
Salt and Pepper to taste
3-4 oz 2% cheese (your choice-we use 4 cheese blend), shredded

Preparation:

Put pasta in water and cook until al dente.

Simultaneously, place chicken in a sauce pan with chicken broth, garlic and onion and sautee over medium high heat. When chicken is white, add broccoli florets , salt and pepper and toss. Sautee until broccoli is tender and chicken is fully cooked.

Strain pasta and chicken/broccoli mix. Mix them all together. Pour cream of chicken soup over the top and stir until chicken/broccoli/pasta mixture is evenly coated. If you prefer, you may substitute a can of milk for one can of soup. If you prefer your casseroles a little more wet, retain a small portion of the broth from the chicken sautee.

Place mixture in a greased casserole dish and top with cheese. Place in 350 degree oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and reaches desired level of browning.

Serves 4-6 depending on your serving size.