Name: Chicken and Broccoli Bake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 500 g chicken breast, in 2 cm pieces; 400 g broccoli florets; 40 g butter; 40 g plain flour; 450 ml whole milk; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 150 g grated mature cheddar; ½ tsp salt; ½ tsp black pepper; 50 g breadcrumbs; 15 g butter, melted, for the topping

Chicken and Broccoli Bake

Chicken breast and broccoli in a creamy cheddar sauce, baked for 25 minutes until bubbling, with a crisp breadcrumb topping.

50 min total Serves 4 servings Easy

Why Chicken and Broccoli Bake Works

Chicken and broccoli, brought together under a blanket of cheese: that is what to make on a night when everyone is hungry and nobody wants to wash many pans. The sauce is made on the hob in one pot and the bake finishes in the oven. One pot makes the sauce.

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces so it cooks through in the time the bake takes. Blanch the broccoli for two minutes only; it finishes in the oven, and a fully cooked floret turns grey and soft. Make the sauce thick, as the vegetables release water in the oven and thin it. A roux of butter and flour with milk, mustard and plenty of cheddar does the job. Blanch briefly.

Mix everything in a baking dish and scatter breadcrumbs mixed with a little melted butter over the top. Bake until the sauce bubbles at the edges and the crumbs are golden. Check that the chicken is white all the way through before serving. A green salad balances it.

What to Put on the Table With Chicken and Broccoli Bake

Rice
Garlic bread
Green salad
Roasted tomatoes

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: New York Bagels, Creamy Coleslaw, Boston Baked Beans.

How to Cook Chicken and Broccoli Bake

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Heat the oven to 200°C / 390°F. Boil the broccoli for 2 minutes, drain and refresh in cold water.
Melt the 40 g butter in a pan, stir in the flour for 1 minute, then add the milk slowly, whisking. Simmer for 5 minutes until thick.
Off the heat, stir in the mustard, 100 g of the cheddar, the salt and pepper.
Mix the chicken, broccoli and sauce in a 2 litre dish. Mix the breadcrumbs with the melted butter and the rest of the cheese and scatter over.
Bake for 25 minutes until bubbling, golden and the chicken is white throughout.

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A Few Notes

Blanch the broccoli briefly so it does not overcook in the oven.

Make the sauce thick; the vegetables thin it as they bake.

Cut the chicken into even pieces so it cooks at the same pace.

Storing and Reheating

Keeps for 3 days in the fridge. Freeze for 2 months. Reheat until piping hot.