Delicious

Broccoli & Chicken Pasta Bake

A healthy and quick family bake. Using little broccoli florets is a good way to encourage your kids to enjoy this nourishing vegetable as part of their five-a-day target.

Ingredients

  • 250g Broccoli cut into little florets
  • 250g Penne Pasta (use wholemeal to make it super healthy)
  • 2 Leeks, thinly sliced
  • 350g Cooked Chicken, (use your left over roast)
  • 500ml Semi Skimmed Milk
  • 50g Cornflour
  • 100g Mature Cheddar Cheese
  • 12 Cherry Tomatoes, halved
  • 25g Parmesan Cheese, grated
  • 1 tsp dried Oregano
  • 3 tbsp dried Breadcrumbs

Cooking Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 190oC. Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling water for 10 – 12 minutes or according to pack instructions.
  2. Trim the broccoli into little florets and slice the leeks thinly adding to the pasta for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
  3. When the pasta is cooked and the veggies are tender drain well reserving about 250ml of the cooking water. Put the pasta and veggies into a large ovenproof dish.
  4. Remove any skin from your cooked chicken and cut into small chunks and add to the dish.
  5. Blend a little of the milk with the cornflour to form a paste in a jug. Heat the remaining milk and cooking water in the same pan until up to boiling point.
  6.  Pour a cup full of the milky water onto the cornflour paste and stir well, then pour this back into your pan of milky water and put back on the heat stirring continuously until thickened.
  7. Remove from the heat and add the mature cheddar cheese and stir until combined. Season to taste.
  8. Pour the sauce over the pasta and gently stir to coat well.
  9. Place the tomatoes onto the top of the mixture then sprinkle the parmesan, oregano and breadcrumbs on top.
  10. Bake for 20 minutes until bubbling and crispy on top.