Chicken and brocolli noodle casserole

Mine seriously looked just like this. It was good. It was definitely a lighter meal, I could tell, but I like food like that. Eric prefers food really rich and creamy, but even he liked this.

NOTES:
I left out the shallots.
I used mild chedder instead of sharp, but I will probably use sharp next time.
I used whole wheat rotini and added about 9 oz, instead of the 6 oz it called for.
I used frozen shredded chicken breast from a Rotisserie chicken I had saved from awhile back, and it was still really moist.
It is a lot of steps to get the sauce right, and it was kind of annoying with 4 kids running around, I was afraid I would mess it up. But now that I did it once, it should be easier next time.
It took me about an hour from start to finish.



Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole
Skinnytaste.com

Ingredients:


6 oz Ronzoni Smart taste noodles (or no-yolk)
2 tsp oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
12 oz fresh broccoli florets, chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 medium shallot, minced
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1-3/4 cups fat free chicken broth
1 cup 1% milk
12 oz cooked shredded chicken breast
4 oz shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar (Sargento)
cooking spray
3 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
2 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat)

Directions:

Cook noodles in salted water until al dente, or slightly undercooked by 2 minutes. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and cook on medium heat until golden, about 1 minute. Add the broccoli and a little salt, sauté and cover the broccoli for about 3 minutes on medium heat until the broccoli begins to soften. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Lightly spray a 9 x 12 casserole dish with cooking spray.

In a large pot, heat butter over medium-low heat, when melted add the shallot and cook until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add the flour and a pinch of salt and stir well, cooking an additional 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat.

Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until well combined over medium heat; whisk well for 30 seconds, then add the milk and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium heat, mixing occasionally until it thickens (about 6-7 minutes). Remove from heat and add reduced fat sharp cheddar and 1 tablespoon of the parmesan cheese; mix well until the cheese melts

Add the shredded chicken, noodles and broccoli to the sauce and mix well until evenly coated. Pour into a casserole dish and top with the rest of the parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more cooking spray on top and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes. Place the casserole under the broiler a few minutes to get the crumbs crisp and golden.