Quick and easy pasta with fresh veggies and a creamy, cheesy sauce.
Ingredients
1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 ¼ cups low-sodium broth (chicken or vegetable)
1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups small shell pasta, uncooked
2 ½ cups chopped broccoli (fresh or frozen)
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- In a medium skillet over medium-high heat (350 degrees F in an electric skillet), sauté chicken in oil until lightly browned, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add broth, soup, pepper and garlic to skillet. Stir until smooth. Add pasta and broccoli.
- Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add a small amount of water or broth near the end of the cooking time if needed to prevent sticking.
- Add cheese during last two minutes of cooking.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes
- Try whole grain pasta for more fiber.
- Try pasta in a different shape, such as spiral or elbow.
- Add other vegetables such as peas, grated carrots or chopped bell peppers.
- Broth can be homemade, canned or made using bouillon. For each cup of broth use 1 cup very hot water and 1 teaspoon or 1 cube bouillon.
- In place of chicken, use 1 1/2 cups of white beans (a 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed), another meat, or canned tuna or salmon.
- Best served immediately. Reheated broccoli changes color and might have a less pleasant taste.
Comments
We've suggested using low-sodium broth for this recipe to further reduce the amount of sodium in each serving. Thanks for suggestions! The Food Hero Team
The first time I made this, I used garlic powder and it was absolutely amazing! My husband can’t stand the taste of broccoli, but this recipe was delicious. The second time I made it, I used fresh garlic but it did not taste as flavorful. I believe it’s because I didn’t sauté the garlic first. So, if you go the fresh garlic route I highly recommend sautéing it first. Enjoy!
We know this is a favorite recipe. We’ve made a few changes to keep the taste but make it more nutritious and cost less. The amount of chicken is reduced slightly and the broccoli is increased. We substituted water and bouillon for the canned chicken broth, which allowed us to use regular cream of chicken soup instead of the more expensive and harder to find low sodium version. We simplified the directions just a little.
The Food Hero Team
Yup! This recipe is still the overall favorite with my students (and family). Leftovers go REALLY fast, too.
Loved this recipe! Not everyone in my house is a fan of broccoli, so I used chopped sweet onion and green bell pepper instead and it turned out great. I also topped mine with sauteed mushrooms. Yum!
This is such a yummy recipe! It's pretty easy to make and a fairly fast meal. This meal has it all, and it pleased the whole family! I topped it with a little cheese in the end right before serving, for a nice presentation.
I really liked the cheesy taste and the spicy kick!