Chicken Pasta Skillet

Name: Chicken Pasta Skillet
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6 servings.
Ingredients: 3 cups uncooked whole wheat spiral pasta; 2 cups fresh broccoli florets; 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour; 1-1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth; 2 tablespoons butter; 1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half; 4 ounces reduced-fat process cheese (Velveeta), cubed; 1 teaspoon garlic-herb seasoning blend; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 2-1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast; 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

I wanted to come up with a healthier mac and cheese dish—something with a little fiber and veggies. My husband doesn’t like health food, but he loved this! —Heather McClintock, Columbus, Ohio

Ingredients

3 cups uncooked whole wheat spiral pasta
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half
4 ounces reduced-fat process cheese (Velveeta), cubed
1 teaspoon garlic-herb seasoning blend
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

In a large saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions, adding broccoli during the last 2 minutes of cooking; drain.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk flour and broth until smooth. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat; stir in broth mixture. Add half-and-half. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1 minute or until thickened. Add process cheese, seasoning blend and salt; stir until smooth.
Add chicken and pasta mixture; heat through, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Let stand, covered, 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Nutrition Facts

1-1/4 cups: 335 calories, 11g fat (6g saturated fat), 72mg cholesterol, 671mg sodium, 29g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 4g fiber), 29g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 starch, 1 fat.

Originally published as Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Rotini in Healthy Cooking April/May 2011

Reviews

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Average Rating:

Angel182009

Aug 3, 2013

This recipe was good but I did use more cheese than the recipe called for because my family loves cheese. So the cheesier the better!
sands351

Jul 9, 2013

Have fixed this twice now and hubby an I really like it. As other reviewers stated, I cut out a cup of pasta and added an extra cup of broccoli and chicken. Very tasty.
spiceygas

Apr 30, 2013

Good recipe, but it's way too lacking on chicken & broccoli and way too heavy on the pasta. You should plan for double the chicken and broccoli to make it work right.
i_like_pie

Apr 20, 2013

My family really liked this. I thought we'd try it without the cheese on top to save some fat, and everyone thought it was great without it.
Arista137

Mar 30, 2013

I tweaked this a bit and it was a HUGE hit at dinner with my husband and 2 year old. I added an extra cup of broccoli, used 1% milk instead of half and half, used full fat Velveeta, and since I didn't have any garlic-herb seasoning on hand, I used 1/4 tsp oregano, 1/4 tsp basil, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp onion powder. I also just scattered the shredded cheese on top so it probably was more like 3/4 cup. Not quite as healthy but DELICIOUS!!!! This will become part of my monthly meal rotation for sure.
scubacas

May 14, 2011

I followed the advice and used more broccoli and less pasta. I thought it was very tasty. I thought the portion was small so I served up more but it was filling so a regular portion probably would have been fine.
Monty24

May 6, 2011

It was okay. Nothing fancy or great but it's a decent enough recipe for a quick weeknight recipe. I agree with the other reviewer about increasing the amount of broccoli and decreasing the pasta.
dawnrosanne

Mar 29, 2011

This was good! I wasn't sure if it would be bland or not, but it was pretty flavorful. I put in 1 tsp of straight garlic instead of the garlic/herb blend. If I make this again, I would add 3 cups of broccoli instead of 2. I would also cut down a little on the noodles, and make 2 1/2 cups of noodles instead of the 3 that the recipe calls for. It was really good!