Cheesy Chicken Pasta with Brussels Sprouts ~ tender pasta, bites of caramelized chicken and sliced brussels sprouts blanketed in a luxuriously creamy smoked gruyere-white cheddar cheese sauce.

Few foods are more comforting than pasta and gooey melted cheese sauce. This dish has both, plus bites of caramelized chicken and thinly sliced brussels sprouts and it’s all topped with toasted bread crumbs.

This is the sort of slow moving Sunday Supper that you whip up while wearing your favorite comfy pants but it’s so quick and easy to make you can enjoy it (comfy pants too) any night of the week.

Why do brussels sprouts have such a bad rap?

When I was a kid I wouldn’t have eaten even a single brussels sprout. Did anyone really like those boiled, lifeless stinky little cabbages?

Today brussels sprouts are one of the most popular vegetables and that all changed with the way we cook them.

Gone is the mushy and smelly brussels sprout of the 60’s and 70’s and maybe on into the 80’s. I did a lot of cooking in the 80’s, but it didn’t include brussels sprouts. I think I was still scarred.

Now we roast or saute vegetables until their edges are golden and crispy and sometimes even get crazy and caramelize their entire bottoms. Whooah. Stop the presses.

This recipe started as Cheesy Brussels Sprouts, roasted then blanketed in a gooey cheese sauce because shouldn’t all holiday dishes be taken to the next level?

But as the recipe developed, a pasta craving and a desire to turn it into decadent but simple weeknight meal meant chicken was added.

Capping things ~ literally and figuratively, I toasted a handful of Pankow breadcrumbs, cooked everything (including the pasta) in one pan. Voila! A delicious any night dish that feels as special as Thanksgiving but is as simple as Hamburger Helper.

Ingredients:

dry penne pasta
olive oil
butter
Pankow breadcrumbs
chicken breasts boneless, skinless cut in bite size pieces
garlic powder
dry sage
brussels trimmed and sliced thin
all purpose flour
whole milk
smoked Gruyere cheese grated
white cheddar cheese grated
Salt and pepper to taste

Any quick tips to make this dish?

Yes! To make this recipe go quickly and effortlessly gather, chop, slice and grate all the ingredients before you start cooking (known as Mise en place).

Instructions:

Bring the water to a boil in a deep skillet and cook the pasta until it’s almost done but still firm. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water then drain it and set it aside.

In the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat then sprinkle in the bread crumbs and toast 3-5 minutes stirring occasionally until they’re golden brown. Remove from the skillet and reserve. Wipe any remaining crumbs from the skillet.

Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet over medium-high heat then add the chicken. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of sage. Sear on both sides and cook until no longer pink inside then transfer the chicken to a medium size bowl.

If the skillet is dry, add another tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and the sliced brussels sprouts. Season with salt and pepper and cook over medium to medium-high heat 3-4 minutes until the brussels sprouts are tender with lightly browned pieces stirring occasionally then add them to the bowl with the chicken.

Add the butter to the skillet over low heat and once it’s melted, sprinkle in the flour, whisking and cook 1-2 minutes.

Add the milk and whisk until it’s smooth. Season with salt and pepper and the remaining sage. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes as the sauce thickens and bubbles.

Finally the cheese. . .

Stir in the grated cheeses stirring constantly until it’s melted and the sauce is smooth. Turn off the heat then taste the sauce again and adjust salt and pepper to your preferences. It’s important to adjust the salt level to your taste before adding the pasta.

Fold in the pasta then the chicken and brussels sprouts. Sprinkle the crispy breadcrumbs over the top and serve right away. Optional: serve the breadcrumbs separately at the table for guests to help themselves.

Do we share a love of all things cheesy and chickeny? It’s totally a word, right? Check out this Spinach and Artichoke Chicken.

Enjoy!

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