Cheesy Chicken And Broccoli Pasta: One-Pot Weeknight Dinner

You don’t boil the shells in a separate pot here. The pasta cooks right in the broth and water with the chicken, and the starch that would’ve gone down the drain stays in the pot and thickens your sauce. That’s the whole trick.

It’s one pot, about 45 minutes, and four generous servings. The only thing that can really go wrong is the liquid level, and that’s easy to watch once you know what to look for.

Use a wide pot with a tight lid. Too small and the pasta stacks up and cooks unevenly.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Brown the chicken

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and let it sit undisturbed until one side is browned.

2. Flip and add aromatics

Flip the pieces, then add the diced onion and minced garlic as the second side browns. Stir so the garlic doesn’t scorch.

3. Add liquid and pasta

Once the chicken is browned on both sides, pour in the chicken broth and water, then add the shells. Stir everything once.

4. Simmer covered

Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Uncover at the boil, stir, drop the heat to low, cover again, and simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Steam the broccoli

Uncover after 20 minutes and add the broccoli. Stir often as it steams and the remaining liquid cooks off.

6. Melt in the cheese

Add the milk and cheddar and stir until the cheese melts into a smooth sauce. Keep the heat low here.

7. Season and serve

Stir in salt, pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg. Taste, adjust, and serve hot.

How to Store Cheesy Chicken And Broccoli Pasta

Delicious Variations

• Swap the cheddar for Monterey Jack or a cheddar-Jack blend for a milder, stretchier sauce.
• Use penne or rotini in place of shells, but start checking at 18 minutes since shapes absorb liquid differently.
• Add a squeeze of lemon at the end if the sauce tastes flat. Acid wakes up cheddar.

Frequently Asked Questions

Get the pot hot before the chicken goes in, keep the lid on for those 20 minutes, and add the cheese off the heat if the sauce starts to look grainy. Cook it once, cook it right.

Cheesy Chicken And Broccoli Pasta: One-Pot Weeknight Dinner

One pot, no draining, and a creamy cheddar sauce that clings to every shell. This cheesy chicken and broccoli pasta is a 45-minute weeknight dinner.

15 minPrep time30 minCook time45 minTotal4Servings

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 chicken breasts (cut into 1 inch (2cm) pieces)
• salt (to taste)
• pepper (to taste)
• ½ cup yellow onion (about half an onion, diced)
• 2 cloves garlic (about 1 tablespoon, minced)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups water
• 16 oz pasta shells
• 4 cups broccoli (or one head of broccoli)
• ½ teaspoon cayenne powder
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. 1Brown the chicken — Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and let it sit undisturbed until one side is browned.
2. 2Flip and add aromatics — Flip the pieces, then add the diced onion and minced garlic as the second side browns. Stir so the garlic doesn’t scorch.
3. 3Add liquid and pasta — Once the chicken is browned on both sides, pour in the chicken broth and water, then add the shells. Stir everything once.
4. 4Simmer covered — Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Uncover at the boil, stir, drop the heat to low, cover again, and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. 5Steam the broccoli — Uncover after 20 minutes and add the broccoli. Stir often as it steams and the remaining liquid cooks off.
6. 6Melt in the cheese — Add the milk and cheddar and stir until the cheese melts into a smooth sauce. Keep the heat low here.
7. 7Season and serve — Stir in salt, pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg. Taste, adjust, and serve hot.

Food safety: Check the thickest part with a food thermometer. Poultry must reach 165°F (74°C); color alone is not reliable.

Chef’s Note: Cheddar melts best over low heat. If your sauce tightens up before serving, loosen it with a tablespoon or two of warm milk rather than more cheese.

Servings: 4

Cuisine: American

Course: Main Course

RecipesCooker15 minutes30 minutes45 minutes

Written by Darnell Okafor
Darnell covers air fryer recipes and slow cook meals, with a steady side of eggs and breakfast casseroles for people cooking on a tight schedule. He writes in a blunt, test-it-again voice and flags the mistakes that ruin texture, from soggy fries to rubbery eggs. Every post gives timings, temperatures, and a fallback if your machine runs hot.