Thursday, January 2, 2014

Easy Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Skillet



Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Skillet (adapted from Taste of Home)

Ingredients:
  • 3 cups of your favorite pasta shape
  • 2 cup fresh broccoli florets
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp plus 1 tsp of flour
  • 1 1/4 cup of chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup of Fat free half n half
  • 4 ounces of velveeta light (this is about 1/2 of a small package)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • pinch of red pepper flakes (Optional- gives the dish a nice little kick)
  • plenty of salt and pepper (To taste)
  • 2 1/2 cup of precooked cubed chicken breasts
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese


Heathy Tip:  I substituted half and half for one plain greek yogurt, fat free chicken broth, Smart balance rather then regular butter and I used 2 ounces of velveeta rather then 4.


Directions
  1. Cook pasta according to directions, adding broccoli during the last 2 minutes of cooking. I like to do it this way cause it is one less pot you need to dirty!
  2. In large skillet, melt butter.  Combine flour and broth until smooth, add half n half ( I used plain greek yogurt to make it healthier).  Bring to a boil and cook and stir for 1 minute until thickened.
  3. Add velveeta and spices, stir until velveeta is melted. 
  4. Add pasta and broccoli and chicken to sauce, combine until everything is coated and heated through.  
  5. Remove from heat and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.  Let stand until cheese is melted.


Tip: Instead of cooking chicken buy a rotisserie chicken have it for dinner the night or two before. Take the leftover chicken and put it in a bowl and use it for this recipe! It is a good way to use leftovers in a new dish!!






I made a yummy arugla salad on the side! yummy!


It is as Simple as 1-2-3!

Enjoy!


1 comment:

Heather said...

Thanks for the recipe, Melissa! My name is Heather and I have a question about your blog! My email is Lifesabanquet1(at)gmail(dot)com :-)