Cheesy Chicken Pasta with Brussels Sprouts blanketed in a creamy Gruyere cheese sauce and finished off with a crispy golden panko bread topping. Easy comfort meal in 30 minutes.
Friends, few foods are more comforting than pasta in a creamy cheese sauce.
This dish has both plus bites of caramelized chicken and thinly sliced brussels sprouts – all topped with toasted bread crumbs.
It’s the adult Mac & Cheese you didn’t know you still needed and it’s ready in just 30 minutes.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
- Whole family will LOVE this easy pasta dish with a homemade alfredo sauce.
- Convert non-brussels eaters with cheesy goodness.
- A few simple steps to a delicious homemade comfort meal.
- Chicken Alfredo meets Adult Mac and Cheese for one delightful dish.
WHAT DO I NEED TO MAKE CHICKEN PASTA WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS?
- penne pasta (or other short pasta)
- olive oil
- butter
- Panko breadcrumbs
- chicken breasts boneless, skinless cut in small pieces
- garlic powder
- dry sage
- brussels sprouts trimmed and thinly sliced
- all purpose flour
- whole milk
- smoked Gruyere cheese freshly grated
- white cheddar cheese freshly grated
- Salt and black pepper to taste
HOW TO MAKE CHEESY CHICKEN PASTA WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS:
The Pasta:
Bring the water to a boil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat then add a generous amount of salt to the water. Cook the pasta per package directions until it’s almost al dente (it’ll finish cooking in the cheese sauce).
Reserve ¼ cup of the starchy pasta water then drain pasta and set aside.
The Panko Breadcrumbs:
In the same pot or skillet add 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat then sprinkle in the panko bread crumbs. Toast 3-5 minutes stirring occasionally until golden brown. Remove from the skillet and reserve.
Wipe any remaining crumbs from the skillet then add a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.
The Chicken:
Drop in bite size pieces of chicken. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Sear on both sides then reduce heat cook until no longer pink. Remove from the skillet to a medium bowl.
The Brussels Sprouts:
Thinly slice the brussels sprouts.
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 or until tender with lightly browned pieces stirring occasionally then add them to the bowl with the chicken.
The Cheese Sauce:
Grate the cheeses and set aside. Heat butter over low heat. Sprinkle in the flour then whisk for 1-2 minutes.
Add milk and continue whisking until smooth. Season with salt, black pepper and sage. Cook over medium heat 2-3 minutes letting the sauce thicken. Add grated cheeses a little at a time stirring constantly until the sauce is smooth.
Add pasta, chicken and brussels sprouts. Stir well to combine and top with reserved crispy breadcrumbs. Serve right away.
SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS TO CUSTOMIZE THIS RECIPE:
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice over the chicken.
- Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top to serve.
- Add yellow or red onion.
- Blend in some chopped fresh parsley just before serving.
- Try a whole grains style of pasta.
- Stir in some sun-dried tomatoes (or even a little of the oil from the jar).
- Lighten up the sauce by adding a little chicken stock or chicken broth and less milk.
- Add rotisserie chicken or other cooked chicken.
HOW TO SAFELY STORE LEFTOVERS:
Cool completely then store in an airtight container for a great lunch the next day.
LOOKING FOR MORE BRUSSELS SPROUTS RECIPES?
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes
Gone are the mushy, smelly brussels sprout of the 60’s and 70’s that gave all brussels sprouts a bad rap. Today we roast them to a golden brown, make them the star of soup recipes or jazz them up with bold Korean spices
Enjoy!
Tried this Cheesy Chicken and Pasta with Brussels Sprouts recipe? Leave a comment, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and TAG ME with a photo of yours on social media! @agoudalife or #agoudalife
Cheesy Chicken Pasta with Brussels Sprouts
Equipment
- large skillet OR pot
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups penne pasta
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ½ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in bite size pieces
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dry sage divided
- 4 cups brussels sprouts trimmed and thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup Gruyere cheese freshly grated
- 1 cup white cheddar cheese freshly grated
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Pasta:
- Bring water to a boil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high. Generously season the salt then add pasta and cook per package directions until almost al dente (it’ll finish cooking in the cheese sauce).Reserve ¼ cup of the starchy pasta water then drain pasta and set aside.
Panko Breadcrumbs:
- In the same pot or skillet add 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add panko - toast 3-5 minutes stirring occasionally until golden the remove from the skillet and set aside.Wipe any remaining crumbs from the skillet then add a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.
Chicken:
- Drop in bite size pieces of chicken. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Sear on both sides then reduce heat cook until no longer pink. Remove from the skillet to a medium bowl.
Brussels Sprouts:
- Thinly slice the brussels sprouts.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 or until tender with lightly browned pieces stirring occasionally then add them to the bowl with the chicken.
Cheese Sauce:
- Grate cheeses and set aside. Heat butter over low heat. Sprinkle in the flour then whisk for 1-2 minutes.
- Add pasta, chicken and brussels sprouts. Stir well to combine and top with reserved crispy breadcrumbs. Serve right away.
Oh my gosh, amazing! Everyone in my family annihilated this tonight. Loved the flavors. (How can you go wrong with smoked gouda?!) Thanks Bernie for a perfect recipe!
Thank you Melissa!! How great your whole family was on board! No easy feat 🙌
Hi Melissa, I want to try this recipe, and I was wondering if you used smoked Gouda or smoked Gruyere for this recipe? The recipe states gruyere, but in your comment you mentioned gouda..
Hello – 🙂
The original recipe was written using Gruyere – looks like Melissa used Gouda – you can’t go wrong with either cheese. Both would be delicious in this recipe. I hope you enjoy the dish ~ Bernie