Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole

Surely you've heard that my 4 year old is in love with macaroni and cheese.  So when I found this recipe on Skinnytaste, and noted it had a macaroni and cheese base with some veggies and some more grown up flavors, I knew it would be a great dish to serve my family.  I also followed her directions to cook up some chicken breast in the crock pot--cover with water (or chicken broth) and cook on high for about 4 hours.  I went with water, but maybe should have chosen broth and some spices to bring some additional flavor to the chicken.  We thought the chicken was kinda bland and this made the whole dish pretty bland.

Of course, neither of my kids would touch it.  No, not because it wasn't delicious, but because they're going through this THING, this "I won't even touch the first dinner you give me, no matter what it is."

I'll definitely give this a try again, but with some changes.  More flavor to the chicken, maybe some extra garlic and a little bit of crushed red pepper to amp up the flavor.

Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole Source:  Skinnytaste
Ingredients:

• 6 oz no yolk "egg" noodles (I used whole wheat)
• 2 tsp oil
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 12 oz fresh broccoli florets, chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1-3/4 cups fat free chicken broth
• 1 cup 1% milk
• 12 oz cooked shredded chicken breast
• 4 oz shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar 
• cooking spray
• 3 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs

Directions:

Cook noodles according to directions in a pot of salted water, undercooking by two minutes.  Set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic about 1 minute, until fragrant. until golden, about 1 minute. Add the broccoli and a little salt, sauté 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.

Make the roulx in a large pot.  Over medium-low heat, melt butter; when melted add the shallot and cook until soft, 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low , and add the flour and stir well, cooking an additional 2-3 minutet.


Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until well combined over medium heat; whisk well for 30 seconds, then add the milk and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium heat, mixing occasionally until it thickens (about 6-7 minutes). Remove from heat and add reduced fat sharp cheddar and 1 tablespoon of the parmesan cheese; mix well until the 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 a little more cooking spray on top and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes. Place the casserole under the broiler a few minutes to get the crumbs crisp and golden (careful not to burn).