Chicken and Bacon Pasta Bake {SO EASY!}
This easy Chicken and Bacon Pasta Bake recipe is a delicious and healthy dinner for all the family. The simple creamy sauce is packed with vegetables and bacon and topped with cheese.
Servings: 4 People
Ingredients
- 300 g Pasta
- 1 tsp Olive oil
- 200 g Bacon Chopped into small pieces
- 300 g Chicken breast chunks About x2 large chicken breasts
- 3 Cloves garlic Peeled and crushed
- 1 Large onion Peeled and chopped into chunks
- 300 g Broccoli (Whole head) Chopped into small chunks
- 500 ml Milk
- 2 tbsp Plain flour
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 150 g Cheese See notes
- 1 tsp Wholegrain mustard Optional
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large pan of salted boiling water, set a timer for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the bacon and cook for 5 minutes until starting to brown.
- When the timer goes off for the pasta add the broccoli and cook for a further 6 minutes until both the pasta and broccoli are cooked. Drain and set aside.
- Add the chicken to the bacon and fry for a further 5 minutes until coloured all over.
- Add the onions, garlic and cook until just softened and the chicken is cooked through. About 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes stirring so everything is well coated.
- Pour in the milk and stir until well combined. Add half of the cheese to the sauce, plus salt and pepper and mustard if using, and stir well.
- Allow to continue to cook over a medium heat for 5 - 10 minutes until the sauce is thick and the cheese has melted in.
- Preheat the grill.
- Add the drained, cooked pasta and broccoli to the sauce, stir well. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
- Put under the grill for about 10 minutes until crispy and bubbling.
Notes
Cheese: You can use whichever cheese you like to top your chicken pasta bake. I like to use half mozzarella, for streeeeeeetchy-ness (is that a word?) and half cheddar, for flavour.
How to prepare in advance: Prepare up to the end of step 10 in the recipe and then when cold pop into the fridge (covered). When you are ready to eat, preheat the oven to 180C/350F and cook for about 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and everything is hot throughout.
Draining: Be sure to drain pasta and broccoli very well so the sauce isn’t watery.
Substitutions: You can omit the bacon for a vegetarian dish, or try using meatballs, sausage, ham or chorizo instead of the chicken and bacon. You can also swap out the broccoli for another vegetable if you prefer (peas would work really well).
Nutrition
Calories: 683kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 1430mg | Potassium: 982mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1131IU | Vitamin C: 71mg | Calcium: 503mg | Iron: 2mg