Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole

One of the things that I enjoy doing to give myself little breaks between during studying or while I'm drinking my coffee in the morning is to peruse around on Pinterest, Foodgawker, or other similar sites.  I have repeatedly come across recipes from a blog called Skinnytaste and I decided to check it out a little more closely.  Turns out this is a really awesome site and I suggest you take a look at it if you have never heard of it.  Gina, the author of the blog, posts low fat recipes complete with nutritional information, weight watchers points, and plenty of flavor!  This chicken and broccoli noodle casserole was the first recipe of hers I've tried, but don't be surprised if I post about more in the future.

Ingredients

• 6 oz. Ronzoni Smart taste noodles (I used whole wheat egg like noodles, or you can use no-yolk)
• 2 tsp oil
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 12 oz (or about 2 1/2) cups fresh broccoli florets, chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 medium shallot, minced (I could not find a shallot, so I just used some yellow onion)
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups fat free chicken broth
• 1 cup 1% milk (I used skim)
• 12 oz (I used 2 chicken breasts) shredded chicken breast*
• 4 oz shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
• Cooking spray
• 3 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp whole wheat bread crumbs

Directions

1. Cook noodles according to package directions until al dente.  Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a skillet.  Add garlic and cook on medium heat until golden, about 1 minute.  Add broccoli and a little salt, sauté covered for about 3 minutes on medium heat until the broccoli begins to soften.  Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a 9x12 inch casserole dish with cooking spray. (I used my 9x13 pyrex dish.)
4. In a large pot, heat butter over medium-low heat.  When melted add the shallot and cook until soft 2-3 minutes.  Add the flour and a pinch of salt and stir well, cooking an additional 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat.
5. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until well combined over medium heat, making sure to whisk well for about 30 seconds.  Add milk and bring to a boil.  Simmer on medium heat, mixing occasionally until it thicken, about 6-7 minutes.  Remove from heat and add reduced fat sharp cheddar and 1 tablespoon of the parmesan cheese.  Mix well until the cheese melts.
6. Add the shredded chicken, noodles and broccoli to the sauce and mix well until evenly coated.
7. Pour into casserole dish and top with remaining parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.  Spray a little more cooking spray on top and bake for about 20-25 minutes.  Place the casserole under the broiler a few minutes to get the crumbs crisp and golden, being careful not to burn. (I did not do this last part with the broiler.)

Recipe courtesy of Skinnytaste.

*I decided to boil my chicken in water to keep it nice and moist.  This was the first time I had every cooked chicken this way.  I put the chicken breasts in a medium pot and covered them with water.  Bring the water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Let chicken breasts simmer for 7-9 minutes.  Remove a piece and cut a slit in it to check for pinkness.  Cook more if needed.  Drain water and pull apart chicken with two forks.