Heálthier Broccoli Chicken Cásserole

DESCRIPTION

This heárty Broccoli Chicken Cásserole recipe is máde with your choice of pástá, tender chicken ánd broccoli, ánd the most delicious creámy cheddár mushroom sáuce.  See notes ábove for possible ingredient váriátions too.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces uncooked pástá* (I used whole-wheát rotini)
• 1 lárge heád of broccoli*, cut into bite-sized florets (ábout 1 pound of florets)
• 2 táblespoons butter or olive oil
• 1 smáll white onion, thinly sliced
• 8 ounces báby bellá (cremini) mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves gárlic, minced
• 3 táblespoons flour
• 1 cup chicken or vegetáble stock
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 teáspoon Dijon mustárd
• 1/2 teáspoon fine seá sált
• 1/4 teáspoon freshly-crácked bláck pepper
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded shárp cheddár cheese, divided
• 2 cups diced (or shredded) cooked chicken

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heát oven to 400°F.
2. Cook pástá in á lárge stockpot of generously-sálted boiling wáter until it is ál dente.  However, ábout 1 minute before the pástá is done, ádd the broccoli to the boiling pástá wáter ánd stir until combined.  Dráin both the pástá ánd broccoli, ánd set áside.
3. Meánwhile, heát the butter (or oil) in á lárge sáuté pán over medium-high heát.  Ádd the onion ánd sáuté for 3 minutes, stirring occásionálly.  Ádd the mushrooms ánd gárlic ánd sáuté for 5 more minutes, stirring occásionálly, or until the mushrooms áre cooked through.
4. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the onion mixture ánd stir until combined.  Cook for 1 minute, stirring occásionálly.  Ádd in the stock, ánd stir everything together until most of the clumps áre gone.  Ádd in the milk, Dijon, sált ánd pepper ánd stir until combined.  Continue cooking the sáuce until it reáches á simmer.  Then remove from heát ánd stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheese until it is combined.  Táste ánd seáson with ádditionál sált ánd pepper, if needed.
5. In á lárge 9 x 13-inch báking dish, combine the cooked pástá, broccoli, mushroom sáuce ánd chicken.  Toss until combined.  Smooth the cásserole out into án even láyer.
6. Báke uncovered for 15 minutes.  Then remove pán from the oven, sprinkle the remáining cheddár cheese evenly on top of the cásserole, ánd báke for 10 more minutes or until the cheese is nice ánd melty.
7. Serve wárm, gárnished with extrá bláck pepper ánd/or fresh herbs, if desired.

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