Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole

Look at this great meal!  It's a casserole, so one would think it was simple and a no-mess dish.  Well, keep reading...

I have class on Tuesday nights, so this week Austin was gracious enough to volunteer to cook dinner while I was in class.  He asked for a recipe, so I rummaged through my recipe pins on Pinterest and found Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole.  I picked it because we had all the ingredients (or could substitute the ingredients we didn't have at home) but didn't bother to read the recipe.  That was a mistake.  When he picked me up from class, he looked so stressed, and I could understand why.  A casserole should be things thrown into a pan and put into an over.

However, look at the picture above!  All those dishes just to have all the pieces go into a casserole dish...

But the casserole does look awesome!

And Austin looks pretty please with his handiwork.  He should be- a great meal!

Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole

(adapted from skinnytaste.com)

Ingredients

1 cup rotini
2 tsp oil
4 minced garlic cloves
12 oz broccoli
1 tbsp butter
1 shallot, minced
3 tbsp  flour
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 cup skim milk
12 oz cooked shredded chicken breast
4 oz shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
3 tbsp parmesan cheese
2 tbsp breadcrumbs

Directions

Cook noodles  and set aside.


Heat oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and cook until golden. Add the broccoli and a pinch of salt, cook and cover the broccoli for about 3 minutes on medium heat until the broccoli begins to soften. Set aside.


Preheat the oven to 375°. Lightly spray a 9 x 12 casserole dish with cooking spray.


In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat.  Add the shallot andcook until soft. Add flour and a pinch of salt.  Stir well, cooking for about 5 minutes on medium-low heat.
Slowly whisk in the chicken broth.  Add the milk and bring to a boil. Simmer, mixing occasionally until it thickens. Remove from heat and add sharp cheddar and 1 tablespoon of the parmesan cheese.  Mix until cheese melts.


Add the shredded chicken, noodles and broccoli to the sauce and mix well until evenly coated.  Pour into a casserole dish and top with parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray cooking spray on top and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes.


8 points plus per serving.  Serves 6.