Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli – Spend With Pennies

Chicken & broccoli is a great weeknight dinner in just one pan.

Tender chicken breasts and broccoli covered in a creamy, homemade cheese sauce. This delish dish goes from stovetop to tabletop in minutes!

An Easy One Pan Dinner

Skip the takeout, this easy one-pan diner comes together quickly and easily.

• This dish cooks quickly, ready in under 30 minutes.
• The quick and creamy cheese sauce is easy to make and great over any vegetable.
• Double or triple the sauce and serve this dish over pasta.
• The cream cheese base of this sauce is naturally low carb.

Ingredients in Chicken and Broccoli

We love the combination of chicken and broccoli in stir fry, in casseroles, pasta, and simply in this dish.

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs are great in this recipe. Pound them to 1/2″ thick so they cook quickly and evenly.
• Fresh broccoli is my first choice but frozen will work too. The cheese sauce in this recipe goes well with almost any vegetable. Try different veggies like carrots, cauliflower, green beans, peas, or asparagus.
• The cheese sauce starts with cream cheese and is easy to make (no roux required). You can use any cheese but bolder cheeses like sharp cheddar add the most flavor.

How to Make Chicken and Broccoli

1. Pound chicken, season, & brown in a skillet per the full recipe below. Set aside.
2. Cook the broccoli just until tender crisp and then set aside with the chicken.
3. Whisk in the cheese sauce ingredients into the pan and serve with the chicken and broccoli.

This dish is great served with egg noodles, rice, or over cauliflower rice. It’s perfect for meal prep.

Recipe Tips

• Pound the chicken so it cooks quickly and evenly. Cover it with plastic wrap when pounding to avoid splattering. If you don’t have a meat mallet, use a rolling pin.
• Alternately, the chicken can be cut into bite-sized pieces and stir-fried.
• Lightly cover the chicken and broccoli while whisking the sauce to keep it warm.
• Add any juices from the chicken into the sauce for extra flavor. Sharp cheese adds more flavor.

Leftovers & Storage

Keep leftover chicken and broccoli in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Add some milk or cream to thin out the sauce before reheating on the stovetop and serve with a sprinkle of fresh parmesan cheese.
Freeze portions for up to 4 weeks. Thaw overnight and reheat as directed.

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Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli

Chicken & Broccoli smothered in a homemade cheese sauce is a delicious entrèe or side dish!

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

• Place the chicken on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap. Pound to ½-inch thickness with a meat mallet or rolling pin. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and basil.

• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until browned. Flip over and brown for an additional 2 minutes.

• Add the broth to the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Add broccoli to the pan and cover. Cook covered for about 3-4 minutes or until tender crisp and chicken is cooked through (165°F).

• Remove the broccoli and chicken, place on a serving plate, and lightly cover to keep warm.

• Add the cream cheese to the pan and whisk until melted and creamy, adding more broth if needed. Whisk in the cheddar & parmesan cheese until smooth. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

• Spoon the cheese sauce over the chicken and broccoli and serve immediately.

• To make this recipe quick, prepare the broccoli while the chicken cooks and shred the cheese while the broccoli cooks.
• Pound the chicken to 1/2″ thickness so it cooks quickly and evenly. Cover it with plastic wrap when pounding to avoid splattering. If you don’t have a meat mallet, use a rolling pin.
• Cook the chicken just until it reaches 165°F, do not overcook.
• Add any juices from the chicken into the sauce for extra flavor.
• Sharp cheeses add more flavor to the sauce. The sauce can be doubled or tripled if you’d like to serve this dish over pasta.

Calories: 359 | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 687mg | Potassium: 805mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1145IU | Vitamin C: 86mg | Calcium: 213mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American

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