Okay so remember when I said I was going to only share salads this February? Then proceeded to share a pasta dish. Well here is another pasta dish! Sorry not sorry. But this breastfeeding mama is also a hungry hippo who is craving comfort foods. All. the. Time. And I love cheesy chicken and broccoli dishes. In any form. 

My mom makes this delicious cheesy chicken casserole with green chilis and tortillas that one day I will find a way to make look picture-worthy for the blog…. Every time I try to take photos of casseroles it comes out less than optimal. Then I came across the idea to make casseroles on baking sheets while perusing social media during one my many late-night feeds. Now that is a good idea! 

So today I am sharing a pasta-based sheet pan casserole that has all the ingredients we love! Cheese, chicken, broccoli… and spinach in this one! It’s healthy if there are two vegetables in it right? Probably not with the butter and milk. So we will call this a special occasion dish. Though I have made it a few times now for no reason at all. 

It’s creamy, it’s heartwarming, it’s a special treat and pairs fantastically with a simple green salad and a glass of white wine! I happen to know it’s also a fun one to make for a dinner party because I promise you, not many people have seen pasta dishes served on a baking sheet before. It makes for a fun surprise when it comes out of the oven and is quite easy to serve.

Another hot tip if you are making it for a party is if you have rotisserie chicken, you can skip the chicken preparation step altogether and simply get to making the sauce and boiling the pasta. 

INGREDIENTS

1 box lasagna noodles

1 lb. chicken breast 

4 tbsp. butter

6 tbsp. GF flour

6 cups milk (any kind works)

1 bag broccoli (approx. 16 oz)

1 bag spinach (approx. 8 oz)

4 cloves garlic

1 cup shaved parmesan

½ tsp. nutmeg 

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Serving Size: 4-6

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 450F. 
• Meanwhile cook and shred the chicken breast.
  • There are a couple of ways to do this – 1) cook in a crockpot on high for 2-3 hours with a little bit of olive oil and a splash of water or 2) pan sear until golden then add a splash of chicken broth, cover with a lid, and poach for 10 minutes.
• Boil the pasta according to the box instructions. 
• After draining, gently toss with olive oil to keep from sticking and cut into smaller squares. Set aside. 
• In a large pot, melt butter on medium heat. 
• Add the flour and whisk until combined. 
• Slowly add in milk and whisk until combined. 
• Season with nutmeg, cayenne, salt and pepper. 
• Mince garlic and roughly chop broccoli before adding to the milk mixture in the pot. Cook for 2-3 minutes. 
• Add spinach, shredded chicken, and half the parmesan. Cook for another 3 minutes until bubbling. 
• Turn off the heat and gently stir in lasagna noodles. 
• Transfer everything to a baking sheet. Spread evenly. 
• Top with the rest of the parmesan and bake for 30 minutes. 
• Enjoy!