Chicken Alfredo, served with Broccoli – One Pan

At a glance

What stands out: A straightforward chicken Alfredo recipe with broccoli that’s made in ONE PAN and has far less calories than a traditional Alfredo. Does it seem too good to be true? It’s not!

How long it takes: 30 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large skillet with cover
Servings: 6

People always think that because we're a food blogger, we must cook gourmet meals every night. Spoiler alert, we don’t.

Of course, we do cook, but we keep it simple. That’s probably not a huge surprise judging from the straightforward recipes you’ll find here on Bomumo.

When we moved back to our hometown after being away for 8 years, we were on a mission to form friendships, and do it ASAP. We made it our mission to make friends with other moms at the school our kids attend. We did this by starting a “Cooking Club,” which is basically a glorified excuse to have a mom’s night out with friends. Sometimes we cook, sometimes we don’t.

We take turns hosting and the host picks a theme and cooks a main dish. Everyone else brings sides, salads, appetizers, and desserts. We usually all show up with a bottle of wine, too. We’ve done a holiday appetizers and desserts night, a spring-themed meal, a lighter cooking club in January, and a couples’ Cooking Club for Christmas.

We’ve done an Instant Pot night where we made the food together. We don’t think we've ever laughed so hard. We’ve also done a few “Cooking” Clubs at restaurants on days when no one felt like cooking. We’ve met to prep some meals for a family in need. Sometimes we meet for breakfast, too.

It’s been such a highlight of moving back here and we're so thrilled to have developed wonderful and treasured friendships. There are 12 of us so we’re always able to get at least 5 or 6 friends together with a little planning.

Also, aren’t they all gorgeous?

Our people are real, and not afraid to admit it. Our people love one pan meals, but they’re also not afraid to pop that frozen pizza in the oven. Our people love good fancy restaurant-prepared entrées but they also love store-bought spinach dip. You guys are all our people.

About This Chicken Alfredo Recipe

All of that conversation leads up to this straightforward chicken Alfredo recipe. We’ve already established that we love straightforward recipes but if you need further proof, check out (and try!) our lighter from-scratch Hamburger Helper and our taco pasta, or our whole list of one pan meals! If you’re “allergic” to doing dishes like we are, we're here to save the day.

Often, dishes prepared with Alfredo sauce are high in calories and a bit of splurge. We've made this recipe a bit healthier by using whole wheat pasta, broccoli, little butter, and a mix of 2% milk and cream instead of all cream.

We realize that whole wheat rotini isn’t the traditional pasta used with Alfredo sauce. We often opt for shorter pasta shapes for the simple reason that it’s easier to eat neatly. However, if you want to use fettuccine, GO FOR IT. We won’t stop ya. You’ll need to adjust cooking time based on what your package says.

What’s important to us is that you get a fabulous, rich, well-rounded meal in one pan in 30 minutes, no matter what pasta shape you use. Life is good.

What goes in

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Straightforward to work with, with lots of protein and low in calories, boneless chicken breasts are a natural choice for this recipe. Cut into bite-sized pieces, it’s speedy cooking, too.
• Unsalted Butter/Olive Oil: A combination of butter and oil gives you plenty of flavor and a higher smoke point for frying up the cut-up chicken. You’ll only need one tablespoon of butter and a teaspoon of oil.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves have the most aromatic flavor. Use as much or as little as you like.
• Fresh Broccoli: Look for dark green broccoli with tightly compacted buds. Stems are okay as long as they are cut into small pieces.
• Whole Wheat Rotini: As we mentioned above, we like to use whole wheat rotini because it’s a smaller-sized pasta and more nutritious. Other types of pasta can be substituted, including gluten-free varieties.
• Low-Sodium Chicken Broth: Since the pasta is cooked in the sauce, you need a fair amount of liquid. Chicken broth is flavorful and inexpensive.
• 2% Milk: Using a lower fat milk like 2% lowers the fat and calorie count of this dish. You can substitute whole milk but we wouldn’t try nonfat or skim.
• Heavy Cream: So, instead of using all cream for the sauce, there’s just a half cup. This gives the sauce just enough of a creamy texture and plenty of taste to satisfy.
• Parmesan Cheese: Buy a block of cheese and grate your own. It melts better and has more flavor. You’ll need a couple of ounces.
• Flat Leaf Parsley: Sometimes called Italian parsley, flat leaf parsley has a different flavor than curly leaf. It adds a spicy green piquancy to the dish as a finishing touch.

How it comes together

Prep the ingredients. You’ll need a large skillet that has a lid. Prep and measure out the ingredients you need before you get started because this recipe moves along pretty quickly.

Cook the chicken. Once you have everything assembled, put the pan over medium high heat. Add the butter and olive oil, give it a swirl, and add the cut up chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Fry the chicken, turning frequently so that it gets done evenly.

Add the garlic. After five minutes or so, add the garlic. Stir constantly for one minute or until the garlic is fragrant but not browned.

Add the broccoli, along with the milk, broth, and pasta. Give everything a good stir, turn the heat down to medium low, and cover the pan.

Cook for 8 minutes. You’ll want to stir it every couple of minutes so that the broccoli and pasta cook evenly. Be sure to replace the lid every time.

Warm the cream. While it’s cooking, warm the cream up. Pour it into a measuring cup or microwave safe container. Heat it in the microwave at 50% power for a minute or so or until warm but not hot.

Make the sauce. When the pasta and broccoli are done to the desired tenderness, stir in the warm cream, parmesan cheese, and the parsley. Heat and stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce has thickened.

Serve with a fresh green arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette. Enjoy!

Ways to change it

• Swap in a different type of pasta. If you’re not a fan of whole wheat, use regular pasta. Use gluten-free pasta if you like. Different shapes of pasta are fine, too, including linguine. If you use a different type of pasta, it may take a shorter/longer time to cook. Refer to the package directions.
• Prefer dark meat? Substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs for the white meat.
• Try a different vegetable. If broccoli isn’t your thing, substitute asparagus (cut into 1 inch lengths) or green peas. Because both of these veggies don’t take as long to cook, stir them in right before you add the cream.
• More recipes. If you’re more in the mood for seafood, try our straightforward shrimp Alfredo. If you prefer a more traditional chicken Alfredo without broccoli, try our creamy chicken pasta. It’s also a one pot pasta recipe.

Make-Ahead Ideas

Get a head start. Cut the chicken, wash and chop the broccoli, wash and mince the parsley. Store everything separately in the refrigerator up to 24 hours in advance.

Keeping leftovers

Usually, fettucine Alfredo dishes are best eaten immediately. The sauce tends to separate when it’s reheated. Because this sauce is made with much less butter and cream, it actually fares much better when reheated.

Refrigerate/Freeze: Leftovers should be promptly refrigerated in a covered container. It will keep for up to three days. It can be frozen in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Reheat: Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring each time. Do not overheat. Larger amounts can be heated in a skillet over low heat until heated through.

Free Meal Plan

Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at Meal Plan #54. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. We add a new meal plan weekly.

Browse Meal Plans

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• Yield: 6
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 20 minutes
• Total: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced, about 1 or 2 teaspoons (see note)
• 3 cups chopped fresh broccoli
• 1 pkg. (12 oz.) whole wheat rotini
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups 2% milk
• ½ cup heavy (whipping) cream, warmed
• ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan (more for serving, if desired)
• ¼ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Method

1. In a large, deep skillet that has a cover, heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brown chicken until golden-brown on the outside and almost cooked through, about 5 minutes.
2. Add garlic and continue to cook, stirring for 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant.
3. Add broccoli, uncooked rotini, broth, and milk. Stir to combine. Cover, turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook covered for 8 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes (to cook pasta evenly), or until pasta is al dente.
4. While the pasta is cooking, warm the cream up. Pour it into a measuring cup or microwave safe container. Heat it in the microwave at 50% power for a minute or so, or until warm. It doesn't have to be hot, just take the chill out.
5. Uncover and reduce heat to low. Add warmed cream, Parmesan, and parsley. Cook until Parmesan is melted and sauce has thickened slightly.
6. If desired, serve garnished with more cheese and parsley.

Notes

Garlic: If you like more garlic, feel free to add it! On the flip side, you can omit it or use ½ to 1 teaspoon of garlic powder for a more mild garlic flavor

Pasta choices: If you prefer, use regular rotini or another type of pasta.