Chicken Casserole

Thìs healthìer Broccolì Chicken Casserole recìpe ìs made wìth your choìce of pasta, tender chìcken and broccolì, and the most delìcìous creamy cheddar mushroom sauce.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked pasta* (I used whole-wheat rotìnì)
• 1 large head of broccolì*, cut ìnto bìte-sìzed florets (about 1 pound of florets)
• 2 tablespoons butter or olìve oìl
• 1 small whìte onìon, thìnly slìced
• 8 ounces baby bella (cremìnì) mushrooms, thìnly slìced
• 4 cloves garlìc, mìnced
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup chìcken or vegetable stock
• 1 1/2 cups mìlk
• 1 teaspoon Dìjon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon fìne sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, dìvìded
• 2 cups dìced (or shredded) cooked chìcken

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400°F.
2. Cook pasta ìn a large stockpot of generously-salted boìlìng water untìl ìt ìs al dente.  However, about 1 mìnute before the pasta ìs done, add the broccolì to the boìlìng pasta water and stìr untìl combìned.  Draìn both the pasta and broccolì, and set asìde.
3. Meanwhìle, heat the butter (or oìl) ìn a large sauté pan over medìum-hìgh heat.  Add the onìon and sauté for 3 mìnutes, stìrrìng occasìonally.  Add the mushrooms and garlìc and sauté for 5 more mìnutes, stìrrìng occasìonally, or untìl the mushrooms are cooked through.
4. Sprìnkle the flour evenly over the onìon mìxture and stìr untìl combìned.  Cook for 1 mìnute, stìrrìng occasìonally.  Add ìn the stock, and stìr everythìng together untìl most of the clumps are gone.  Add ìn the mìlk, Dìjon, salt and pepper and stìr untìl combìned.  Contìnue cookìng the sauce untìl ìt reaches a sìmmer.  Then remove from heat and stìr ìn 1 cup of the shredded cheese untìl ìt ìs combìned.  Taste and season wìth addìtìonal salt and pepper, ìf needed.
5. In a large 9 x 13-ìnch bakìng dìsh, combìne the cooked pasta, broccolì, mushroom sauce and chìcken.  Toss untìl combìned.  Smooth the casserole out ìnto an even layer.
6. Bake uncovered for 15 mìnutes.  Then remove pan from the oven, sprìnkle the remaìnìng cheddar cheese evenly on top of the casserole, and bake for 10 more mìnutes or untìl the cheese ìs nìce and melty.
7. Serve warm, garnìshed wìth extra black pepper and/or fresh herbs, ìf desìred.