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Secretly Healthy Bake

ChickenCasseroleDiner-Style

Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

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About

Shhhh, don't give it away! Secretly Healthy Bake is actually pretty good for you... but you would never know that unless someone told you. Why? Well, because if you blindly taste this hearty casserole loaded with juicy chicken, tender broccoli, and melty cheese smothered around al dente whole-wheat macaroni, you would just think it was a regular old bake loaded with all the stuff that's bad for you. But then... when you find out this is actually a Secretly Healthy Bake, well, you're sure to be pleasantly surprised. Grab your fork and dig in with glee! There are only good things here!

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Ingredients

  • 1 (1-pound) box whole-wheat elbow macaroni
  • 1 large head broccoli, cut into florets and roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups skim milk
  • 3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
  • 2 cups chicken, cooked, diced
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more, to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more, to taste
  • 3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs

Directions

Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Step 2 -Grease a 2-3-quart casserole dish.

Step 3 -In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook the pasta to al dente, according to the package directions.

Step 4 -Add the broccoli florets to the pasta mixture for the last 5-6 minutes of cooking and cook until they are tender.

Step 5 -While the pasta is cooking, in a large pot over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter.

Step 6 -Add the flour to the butter and cook, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes.

Step 7 -Slowly add the milk to the flour mixture, whisking constantly, until the mixture is smooth.

Step 8 -Add 1 1/2 cups of the cheese to the flour mixture and stir until it has melted.

Step 9 -Transfer the cheese mixture from the heat.

Step 10 -Add the cooked pasta, the cooked broccoli, the chicken, the salt, and the pepper to the cheese mixture and stir well to combine.

Step 11 -Taste the pasta mixture and adjust the seasonings as needed.

Step 12 -Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared casserole dish and top with the remaining cheese.

Step 13 -In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with the remaining melted butter and stir to combine.

Step 14 -Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the casserole and bake until it is hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Step 15 -Serve.

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