Experienced cooks will raise their eyebrows when they see how this HEALTHY Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake is made. But don’t judge until you try it – it works!!! Made from scratch, not a drop of cream, this is a complete meal that takes 5 minutes to prep, made in ONE baking dish and it’s absolutely delish. {350 cal per serving!}
The World’s EASIEST Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake!
This is comfort food for busy people, dedicated to all those back home in Australia and everyone else around the world suffering through a blustery cold winter!
The method I use for this Ultra Lazy Healthy Chicken Pasta Bake certainly is unorthodox. Just plonk flour, uncooked pasta, raw chicken, vegetables, milk and chicken broth into the baking dish, give it a quick stir, then pop it into the oven. Pull it out partway through cooking, stir through cheese, then finish baking.
And what comes out is quite extraordinary. When you crack through that golden topping, you will be greeted with perfectly cooked pasta smothered in a creamy sauce that you’ve just made without a single drop of cream, without having to make a roux on the stove the traditional way béchamel and cheese sauces are made.
Not a hint of flouriness (thanks to the gluten in the pasta which also helps thicken the sauce) and the pasta is perfectly cooked – I blame my Japanese mother for raising me as a total snob about overcooked rice and this snobbery extends to pasta. There is actually sauce (hands up if you’ve suffered through dry pasta bakes!), and it’s a complete meal that’s light on the pasta, and heavy on broccoli + lean chicken.
I’m going to be completely honest with you about the difference between this and the traditional way of making creamy pasta bakes. My “go to” way is to start with a roux – like in this Seafood Gratin Pasta Bake, my Baked Mac and Cheese and my mother’s Chicken and Mushroom Macaroni Gratin ( <<— Childhood favourite, right here!). The sauce is silken and there’s more of it compared to this Ultra Lazy way.
If you look very closely, you will see that the sauce is a tiny bit split on the base of the baking dish. But you need to look really close to see it and it doesn’t taste split.
Very, very small compromise for a quick meal, in my humble view. 🙂
(Here’s a close up – you can see what I am describing in the bottom left corner)
I didn’t create this Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake as a hack. It came about because of the homeless man at the local dog park who I regularly take hot meals to. He always insists that I mustn’t go out of my way to bring him meals, and that in itself plus me being me just feels some sort of obligation to ensure I take meals to him regularly.
I had skipped a few days and I was standing in my kitchen, flustered at the mound of dirty dishes and peeved because of a failed video shoot and wanted to make something quickly.
Threw this Ultra Lazy Pasta Bake together using leftover vegetables thinking it “should be ok”, was blown away how well it actually worked, got the thumbs up from the homeless man, had it myself for dinner then decided to share it here. 🙂 – Nagi x
More big, juicy pasta bakes
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Baked Ziti – the mother of all pasta bakes!
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Tuna Pasta Bake – the highest and best use for canned tuna!
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Baked Mac and Cheese – and try the Shrimp version!
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Cheeseburger Casserole (Homemade Hamburger Helper)
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Browse all pasta recipes
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ultra Lazy HEALTHY Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake recipe video!
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Ultra Lazy Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 300 - 400 g / 10 - 14oz chicken tenderloin (raw) , breast or thigh, cut into 1.5cm / 3/5" pieces
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme (or other herbs and/or spices of choice)
- 250 g / 8 oz spiral pasta, uncooked (See Note 1 for other shapes)
- 1 1/2 cups / 375 ml chicken broth/stock , preferably warmed
- 2 cups / 500 ml milk , preferably warmed (any fat %)
- 1 large garlic clove , minced
- 1 - 2 tbsp /15 - 30g butter (optional)
- 1 large broccoli or 2 medium broccoli or cauliflower , broken into small to medium florets (Note 2 for subs)
- 100 - 150 g / 1 - 1.5 cups shredded cheese , any melting type (Note 3)
- 1/4 cup / 35g flour (all purpose / plain)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C/390F (standard) or 180C/350F (fan forced / convection).
- Sprinkle chicken with salt (be generous), pepper and thyme, toss to coat.
- Spread pasta in a baking dish. Sprinkle over flour.
- Pour over milk and broth, add garlic and butter. Stir.
- Spread chicken over the top, then broccoli.
- Cover with foil, bake for 15 minutes (or 20 minutes if milk & broth were cold).
- Remove foil, STIR WELL. Add most of the cheese, then STIR WELL again. Top with remaining cheese.
- Return to oven. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until top is golden and sauce is thickened (See note 4 for troubleshooting).
- Stand for a few minutes then serve immediately!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
More chicken and broccoli recipes
For those of you who, like me, find yourself putting both of these in your trolley week after week…
LIFE OF DOZER
I always joke about how when I’m away, Dozer doesn’t miss me at all because he’s too busy enjoying his own holiday with a Golden Retriever boarder.
But apparently, when she takes Dozer to the beach, he breaks away from the pack and sprints up to “dark haired people of my shape”, then bolts back when he realises it’s not me.
I didn’t know what to react to first – pleased as punch at the first sign that he does actually seem to miss me, or bursting into laughter at her delicately phrased description that Dozer only runs towards vertically challenged, dark haired women with generously sized bottoms!!!
Hi Ngari
Can I make this ahead up to step 6 & finish closer to serving time?
Judy
Great taste but it took ages longer than the recipe said. Obviously my oven is weak! Tonight it would have been quicker to cook everything and then combine. But this is the first time I’ve not raved over a Recipetineats meal after making loads.
Took me 2 hours 🥺
But I don’t mind 😃
I just made this for dinner tonight, cannot believe how tasty it is for how easy and quick to throw together, definitely a winner!
Wahoo!!! That’s greta to hear Amy! N x
Can this recipe be made with rice pasta and rice flour? Thanks.
Hi Kay, I would need to test this sorry as the cook time and water content would be different. N x
I love this recipe but the past few times my sauce hasn’t thickened. What am I doing wrong?
I LOVE this recipe! My husband wants this at least once a week! I do have to tinker with the baking time, but I think I have mastered it!!
Hi Nagi,
Just want to say thanks for the great recipe, I have made this a few times now and it comes together quickly and worked well with both dairy and nut milks and is super tasty.
I think I have either saved or printed half the recipes on your site, can’t wait to try more
I LOVE this recipe, it is so so yummy and easy and works every time. Also it’s my boyfriend’s new favourite dinner, score!
This was awesome! I had leftover chicken from legs we baked a couple days ago and I made this for my hubby and I. I added some sliced onion and parmesan, but that’s the only changes I made. We both loved it!
Thank you Nagi. Last minute request from my daughter craving a broccoli/cheese pasta bake. I googled, as you do lol There was your very “quick” receipe. I follow you on FB so knew you wouldn’t let me down. It was delicious 😋
The extra notes were great too, covered all mishaps lol
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Greetings, Nagi;
First time ever I’ve corresponded with a wizard of food!! Came upon this recipe; read almost your whole site, and was so very pleased! Made this dish. I usually overcook meals with meat protein. I’m a micro-germaphobe, I guess. Had boneless, skinless chicken thighs on hand. Cut them up and cooked/browned them first. Oh, added onions and garlic. I add onions to everything except desserts. I believe they are the soul of food. This recipe is a real winner!! Thank you. I’m going to try your mac & cheese next. Still searching for the perfect recipe. Hope this is it! Thank you again, Nagi. I’m so happy to have found you and your precious pup!
Is a 9×13 baking dish ok, or will it be too big?
That will be fine Kelly! N x
Unbelievably easy and delicious. The man and the kids polished off the whole tray in one night <3 Thanks again Nagi!
Unbelievably easy to cook and so delish. A one pan wonder.
I added leftover roast chicken when adding the cheese.
Soooooo good indeed!
This turned out great. A quick dinner after work, which was so easy and flavourful. Thanks Nagi!
Family requested a pasta bake and this was perfect. I only had a little bit of broccoli so I added some green beans and a dollop of pesto it was delicious.
Another delicious dinner! Thank you 😊 for your easy to recipes. I did add spinach and green onions when I added the cheese, also cooked it for about 10 minutes longer, maybe because of the additions or my pasta choice- farfalle/bow tie. Thank you Nagi, I am never disappointed!
This sounds amazing, I have shredded cooked chicken breast to use up, so I’ll try adding it when I add the cheese.
THANK YOU for the note about Australian cheeses, it’s extremely helpful!
Made this tonight thinking “something so simple possibly can’t work”. It did! It was delicious, thanks Nagi x
Wahoo, that’s great to hear Cheryl! N x