Cheesy Skillet Chicken with Pasta and Broccoli

Tonight, we are having this scrumptious dish. This recipe comes from Cook’s Illustrated “The Best Skillet recipes Cookbook” Try it soon….it’s really delicious.

You will need:
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch squares
Table salt and ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
*I used Onion flakes instead 4 medium cloves garlic, minced
*I only used two
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 ounces ziti (penne makes a great substitution)
4 1/4 cups water
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4-5 cups broccoli florets (depending on how much broccoli you want)
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped coarse
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup grated Asiado cheese
*asiago is in the original recipe and can be interchanged, but I used Parmesan 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Directions:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 1 minute without stirring. Stir the chicken and continue to cook until most, but not all, of the pink color has disappeared and the chicken is lightly browned around the edges, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a clean bowl and set aside. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the skillet. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.Add the pasta, 3 cups of the water, and the broth. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the liquid is very thick and syrupy and almost completely absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, and the remaining 1 1/4 cups water. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the broccoli turns bright green and is almost tender, 2-3 minutes. Uncover and return the heat to medium-high. Stir in the cream, parmesan, and reserved chicken with any accumulated juices and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is cooked and heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing more grated parmesan at the table, if desired.

  • Jenn - 04/10/2013 - 1:46 pm

    Is there anything I can substitute for the heavy cream? I don’t have any and would love to make this for dinner tonight.

    Thanks for the great recipes.

    JennReplyCancel

    • Get Off Your Butt and BAKE - 04/10/2013 - 7:41 pm

      Hi Jenn,

      You could substitute half & half for the cream.
      I’m afraid if you use milk, it just wouldn’t taste the same, or give you the same velvety texture.

      JonnaReplyCancel