|
Ingredients
10 oz. fresh broccoli florets
(about 2 to 2 1/4 cups)
2 cups uncooked extra
wide noodles
2 cups sliced or cubed
cooked chicken breast (see recipe for cooking
directions)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
5 tablespoons butter,
divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black
pepper
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar
cheese
2 cups cooked cubed or
sliced chicken breast
1 cup soft bread crumbs
(made from sourdough or other bread)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
6 slices bacon
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°
F.
Cook bacon until crisp.
Set aside until cool, them crumble into pieces and
set aside.
Cook noodles according
to directions. While noodles are cooking, prepare
broccoli (directions follow).
Heat about 1 inch of
water to boiling in a medium saucepan. Place rinsed
florets in a vegetable steamer over boiling water
and cover. Steam for 4 minutes, then immediately
remove from water and transfer florets to a 9x12 or
9x13-inch casserole dish. Pour lemon juice
over broccoli and gently toss to combine. Arrange
florets evenly in casserole dish. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl,
combine soft bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and
whisk or stir to combine. Add 2 tablespoons melted
butter and whisk or stir again until blended. Set aside.
Cut thicker pieces of
chicken in half lengthwise to create thinner pieces
(this will allow the chicken to cook more quickly
and evenly). Lightly season chicken with salt
and pepper. Add olive oil and 1
tablespoon butter to a large skillet. Heat until
butter is melted, combining oil and butter. Add chicken
pieces to skillet and cook over
medium-high heat on both sides until lightly browned
and no pink remains in center (about 5 minutes per
side).
(Note: Leave bits and pieces in skillet to use
later with the sauce.) Transfer chicken to a cutting
board and cut into bite-size slices or cubes. Set
aside.
In a small mixing bowl,
whisk together flour, salt and pepper.
Melt the last 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Add flour
mixture to melted butter and whisk until
blended to create a "roux." Pour milk into roux, whisking constantly
until thoroughly blended and mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove
skillet from heat, then stir in shredded cheese and continue
stirring until cheese has fully melted. Add sour
cream and stir to blend. Stir chicken
pieces and noodles into cheese sauce, then pour
entire mixture over broccoli in
casserole dish.
Evenly sprinkle crumbled
bacon over the top of the casserole, then scatter bread crumb
mixture evenly over the top of all. Bake uncovered for about
20 minutes or until sauce appears bubbly and bread
crumb topping has turned a light golden brown and
appears slightly crispy.
Serve.
|
