Cheddar Shells with Rotisserie Chicken
and broccoli
Smarts: Boiling the pasta and the broccoli together saves time and dishes - just be sure to only add the broccoli at the end of cooking so it doesn't overcook.
Ingredients
- Garlic - 2 cloves, chopped
- Broccoli - 1 lb, chopped
- Cheese, cheddar - 5 oz, grated
- Rotisserie chicken - 1/2, shredded
- Milk, any type - 1 cup
- Mustard, Dijon - 2 tsp
- Nutmeg (opt) - 1/4 tsp
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- Flour, all-purpose - 2 Tbsp
- Pasta, uncooked shells - 8 oz (sub any small pasta shape)
- Oil, cooking - 2 tsp
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Garlic / Broccoli / Cheese - Prep as directed. Store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Rotisserie chicken - (Skip if chicken was prepped ahead for Tuesday.) Take meat off the bone and shred. Use a knife and fork or your hands. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Make sauce base - Mix garlic with milk, mustard, nutmeg, salt, and flour.
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Make
- Bring a large stock pot (stock pot should accommodate pasta and broccoli) of water to boil. Salt generously and add pasta. Cook until al dente, tender but not soggy. Add broccoli in the last 1 1/2 minutes of cooking.
- When pasta is done, reserve 1 cup / 235 ml (for 4 servings; adjust if customizing) of pasta water and drain pasta and broccoli.
- Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Add oil and then chicken to heated oil. Saute until chicken is heated through, ~1 minute.
- Pour sauce base over chicken. Whisk sauce base and, once it starts to thicken, add in pasta and broccoli.
- If the sauce is too thick, pour in some of your reserved pasta water. Keep on adding the pasta water until you get the consistency you want.
- Remove pan from heat and stir in cheese until melted.
- Season pasta with some salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
Most Helpful
I actually made this without the broccoli or chicken to be used as a side dish and it was awesome!
2 Helpful43 reviews
Very hearty and tasty. Super easy to make. I could see where someone would want more spice, but it was really so good the way it was.
0 HelpfulI love this method. Fewer steps and just as tasty as a traditional roux. My picky eater ate a whole bowl. Since some of the reviews mentioned a bit of blandness, I added a bit more mustard, some paprika, and a couple of slices of chopped bacon.
0 HelpfulThis was pretty good and reheated well for lunches, but I wish it had more kick - I used extra sharp cheddar to try to add as much flavor as possible and served with red pepper flakes, but it still seemed like it was missing something.
0 HelpfulSuper super easy. Definitely add cayenne and/or red pepper flakes to your sauce base unless you have spice-averse or kids eating this dish. Cooked up beautifully and easily. Perfect for a busy and chilly weeknight.
0 HelpfulWOW! Definitely heavier than I am used to, but really yummy. I will save this for a winter day.
0 Helpful