Chicken & Broccoli Pasta Bake

Serves: 4

Ingredients

300 g cooked skinless chicken breasts
200 g broccoli, chopped into florets
200 g pasta (penne or fusilli)
knob of unsalted butter
100 g mushrooms, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 – 2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs
25 g plain flour
360 ml chicken stock
120 ml milk
60 g Gruyère cheese, grated
freshly ground black pepper
40 g breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Directions

Dice the cooked chicken breasts and set aside. Cook the broccoli in boiling water for 5 mins, then remove from water and set aside. Retain the water, return it to the boil and cook the pasta for 10 – 12 minutes or until al dente.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms, garlic and herbs and sauté for 4 minutes. Add the flour before gradually adding in the chicken stock and milk, then give it a good stir with a whisk. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 mins, until thick, stirring from time to time. Add the Gruyère, a pinch of pepper and stir well. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cooked diced chicken.

Grease a casserole dish and put a layer of pasta on the bottom, roughly half. Put half the broccoli on top, followed by half the chicken mixture, then repeat with a second layer of each. Sprinkle the top with the breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan and bake in an oven preheated to 220C / 425F / Gas Mark 7 for 15 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown.