Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake

September has settled in and the church calendar is full again, which means my calendar is full, which means I am full — of purpose, of plans, of the particular kind of tiredness that comes from doing the work you were made to do. Wednesday night Bible study suppers, Sunday morning fellowship, the occasional funeral or wedding, and the daily work of feeding my family. This is not a complaint. This is a love song. A love song sung in the key of cast iron and gas flame and the sound of collard greens simmering at low heat.

Calvin is planning the fall revival again, and I am planning the fall revival meals, and between us we will deliver a week of preaching and eating that will leave the congregation full in both body and spirit. The menu is similar to last year because the menu works and you do not fix what is not broken, which is a principle that applies to church food and to marriages and to cast iron skillets, all three of which improve with consistent use and careful maintenance.

Marcus is settling into senior year with the easy confidence of a boy who knows this is his last lap and intends to run it well. He was elected treasurer of the Student Government Association, which means he is now in charge of money, which I find ironic because this is a boy who once spent his entire birthday money on pizza in a single weekend, but people grow, and growth sometimes looks like being trusted with a budget you would have squandered three years ago.

Visited Daddy at the nursing home on Saturday. He was sleeping when I arrived, and I sat beside him and watched him breathe the way mothers watch babies breathe — counting the inhales, measuring the spaces between them, making sure the rhythm holds. I brought sweet potato pie. He woke after twenty minutes and ate it without recognition. His hands trembled on the fork. The pie was good. The visit was the visit. I kissed his forehead and said I love you Daddy and the words went where they always go — into the air, into his ears, into whatever part of him still knows my voice, which I believe is a part that exists even when the rest has gone quiet.

Made a big pot of jambalaya Friday night because the weather cooled and my bones wanted rice and spice and the kind of meal that fills the kitchen with a smell that makes the whole house feel like a warm hand holding you. Andouille sausage, chicken, shrimp, the trinity, rice, and enough cayenne to remind you that you are alive. Calvin said it was spicy. I said it was seasoned. Same debate. Same outcome. Same marriage.

The jambalaya was Friday night’s gift to my own family, but when I sit down to plan the revival meals, I need dishes that travel well, hold warm in a chafing dish, and feed sixty people without losing their soul somewhere between the kitchen and the fellowship hall. This chicken broccoli pasta bake is one of those dishes — creamy, sturdy, the kind of casserole that a teenager will eat a second plate of and a deacon’s wife will ask you for the recipe. I have made it three years running for Wednesday night of revival week, and it has never once let me down.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 pound penne pasta
3 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or cubed
4 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.
Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne for two minutes less than the package directions — it will finish cooking in the oven. During the last two minutes, add the broccoli florets to the boiling water with the pasta. Drain both together and set aside.
Make the cheese sauce. In the same pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Whisk in the flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Slowly pour in the milk and chicken broth, whisking until smooth. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat.
Combine. Stir 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese and all the Parmesan into the sauce until melted and smooth. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Add the drained pasta and broccoli and the cooked chicken. Stir until everything is well coated.
Assemble the bake. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese over the top. In a small bowl, toss the panko breadcrumbs with the olive oil, then scatter them over the cheese.
Bake. Place in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbling. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake — The Kind of Dish That Feeds a Revival