A mozzarella sauce makes this 30 Minute Creamy Chicken & Broccoli a family pleasing weeknight dinner favorite!

30 Minute meals, one pan meals, etc. are all my favorite! I like to have dinner ready in as little time as possible, and to have minimal clean-up when I can.
I'm not a messy cook. I'm one of those that cleans as I go. I don't know if it was a learned behavior from watching my parents in the kitchen, because I know that both my momma and daddy always had a soapy dish rag handy to mop up spills and splatters as they happened.
So that's just what I do. While whatever is cooking, I'm usually washing up what can't go into the dishwasher, like my knives or wooden cutting boards that I used to prep with.
Or I'll rinse whatever off and toss it in the dishwasher as I've used it. I just find that this method keeps me moving from point A (meal prep) to point B (dinner ready) and it makes point C (kitchen clean-up) quicker.
I've also started to plate up everyone's plate, and go ahead and grab out leftover containers to get things in those as soon as I plate up dinner. I leave them out so that if Zack or Kelsie want seconds they can grab them, and since I've already tossed everything into the dishwasher, the only thing left is to put our dishes in the dishwasher, and wipe down the table.
I try and make as little work as possible. And you all may be thinking that I'm crazy that I'm actually creating more work for myself, but I totally think it sort of pans out, and that my way is probably faster. 😉 HA!
So 30 minute meals...that's where we are at today. This meal is one of those that you have to multi task (sort of) to get it done in 30 minutes, but I'll take you step by step on how I do things, and you'll see that it's not that hard to multi task this one, and have it on the table in 30 minutes!
I love recipes that although aren't always cooked in one pan, end up in one pan in the end. AND if they include your protein, veggie, and starch, it's a total winner in our home.
The creamy aspect in this dish is from a white sauce that we made using mozzarella. You could go with straight Parmesan or even cheddar, if your family digs those more. Now that I'm thinking that way, I bet a pepper jack would be amazing in this sauce, if you like a little spice!
30 Minute Creamy Chicken & Broccoli ingredients:
- pasta
- olive oil
- chicken breast
- broccoli
- garlic
- heavy cream
- milk
- Mozzarella cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
How did I make this in 30 minutes?
- The very first thing you are going to do is to get your water boiling for that pasta. So place a pot on the stove full of salty water, cover, and turn that bad boy up on high heat.
- Next you're going to get out the pan for the chicken, where your dish will ultimately be served from.
- While that pan is heating up, get out your chicken, cube it up, and season it liberally, toss in a little oil to the pan, and your pan should be almost hot.
- And depending on how warm of water you started with, you may be able to toss in that pasta, if your water is boiling.
- Here is the key...you've got to pay attention to that water, because you want to toss that pasta in as soon as it starts boiling. Depending on the type of pasta you use, it could take a while to boil to your liking. We are good with al dente, but I know some who like it cooked a bit more than that. (we should be sitting at 10 minutes in at this point)
- Ok, now you should be cooking that chicken, browning it on all sides.
- While the chicken is browning up, give your pasta a stir or two, and place that broccoli bag into the microwave. (I use steam in the bag broccoli, because it's quick) With dishes like this, I don't steam the broccoli the entire time the package says.
- Remove the chicken from the pan when it's browned up and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Remove the broccoli from the microwave, open the bag to allow the steam to escape to help slow down the cooking process. So now are at 20 minutes.
- Your pasta should be done by now. Drain it. Set it aside.
- In that same pan you cooked your chicken, make the sauce, less than 10 minutes.
- Once the sauce is made, toss the pasta, chicken, and broccoli in. Stir it around to coat. Season with parsley and shredded parm, if you want. And you've hit the 30 minute mark! Dinner done in 30 minutes! 🙂
Are you a clean and cook as you go? With this dish, I can clean as I go, but it's because I've been doing it for so long. So as soon as I've placed the chicken in the pan, I put the cutting board into the dishwasher.
As soon as I toss the pasta in with the sauce and other ingredients. I place that pot and colander into the dishwasher. Now I'm left with the one pan that I serve from.
More recipes that are ready in 30 minutes or less:
30 Minute Creamy Chicken & Broccoli
A mozzarella sauce makes this 30 Minute Creamy Chicken & Broccoli a family pleasing weeknight dinner favorite!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta (I used bow ties)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breast, cubed
- 10 ounces broccoli (I use a steam in the bag)
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup milk
- 1 ¼ cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta to al dente, drain.
- Cook the broccoli half the time the package says, and open as soon as it's done, and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. While the pan is heating, cube the chicken and season liberally with salt and pepper. Brown the chicken on all sides. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Add minced garlic to the pan and saute it in the pan, with the leftover chicken juices/oil, on medium heat for about 30 seconds, making sure to avoid burning. Pour in 1 cup of heavy cream until it starts to simmer. Immediately add the cheese and stir until melted and nice and creamy. Reduce heat to medium-low, and slowly stir in the milk, constantly whisking, simmering, until nice and creamy consistency is reached. Similar to that of a mac and cheese sauce consistency.
- Add cooked pasta, chicken, and broccoli to the sauce, toss to coat. Serve with parsley or shredded parmesan on top.
Notes
Check out my post on the exact steps I used to create this recipe in exactly 30 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 752Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 242mgSodium: 481mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 68g
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robin rue says
Mmmm! Chicken and broccoli is one of our favorite meals, but we add ziti into ours. It's always a big hit when I make it for my family!
Joanna says
I usually use whatever pasta I have on hand. 🙂
Alli Smith says
I always try to clean as I go too because I hate a messy kitchen. I do love this recipe and that it only takes 30 minutes. Thirty-minute meals are my favorite, especially during the week when I need to get dinner done in a hurry. I'm a pasta lover, so I will make this one soon!
Joanna says
🙂 You'll love this one! Enjoy!
Candy says
My family like chicken , broccoli and pasta. Adding that creamy sauce sounds perfect all mixed in with everything.
Joanna says
It's a great family dinner! 🙂 Enjoy!
Glenda Cates says
This looks so yummy and a fun lunch for the Girls Day Out I would like to set up before the end of Summer so thank you for sharing it with us. Have a nice day and I also can't wait to check out the cookbook above for Keto.
Joanna says
Enjoy it Glenda!
Jeanette says
I love when something looks this good and is that easy! I am always on the search for a new chicken recipes because chicken can be so dull sometimes. This looks outstanding.
Joanna says
Thanks Jeanette! I'm always on the look out for ways to make chicken a different way as well. 🙂
Sarah Bailey says
Oh my goodness1 This sounds absolutely delicious I love that it only takes 30 minutes, quick meals are defintiely for me in this heat.
Joanna says
Thanks Sarah! 30 minute meals are always a great choice. 🙂
Terri Steffes says
This looks like a wonderful dinner. I can imagine a family eating this with a lot of joy!!
Joanna says
Thanks Terri!
Melissa Chapman says
You and I think and act alike. A great meal does not have to take a long time and having it end up in one pan is perfect.
Joanna says
🙂 Exactly!
Teresa says
I love any dish that is in ONE pot! But, you have pretty much all our favorite foods in one dish here. My daughters would probably eat this everyday if I made it for them!
Joanna says
Enjoy this one Teresa!
Ashley says
This looks like a great weeknight meal for me. Broccoli is one of my favorite veggies.
Joanna says
You'll love this one! The broccoli is perfectly cooked, and not mushy. 😀
Amber Myers says
Yes please. What a perfect dinner. I like that it's so easy to make. I'll add this to my dinner list!
Joanna says
Great Amber! Enjoy! 🙂
Tasheena @ SimplyTasheena.com says
I love that this is a 30 minute meal and doesn't require a lot of time in the kitchen. Looking forward to making this dish for my family.
Joanna says
I hope you enjoy this dish as much as our family does!
Karen Morse says
I love creamy dishes and this definitely fits the bill! I love that it only takes 30 minutes to put this recipe together! It's perfect for dinner! I can't wait to give it a try! Thanks!
Heather says
My kids would LOVE this meal! I'll have to make it for them for dinner this week.
Louisa says
I'm not big on broccoli but this creamy chicken recipe looks oh-so-good!
Farrah Less says
This is my kind of pasta creamy sauce a with veggies. A great addition for your family meal plan. Looks so delicious on photos.
Amy h says
This looks so good! I think I have found what we're making for dinner this weekend!
Fatima Torres says
Anything with broccoli is a favorite of mine. Wow, 30 minutes? This is genius
Terri Beavers says
The only way I can get the kids to eat broccoli is to ad dit to chicken dishes. They'd really like this one because they love pasta too. It sounds like a nice quick meal.
libby wallace says
chicken dishes is my favorite foods and recipe. Thank you so much Joanna for share it. Please share more recipe for us.