White Sauce Chicken And Brussels Sprouts Pasta Bake Recipe

Let's face it, you won't find many people fighting for the Brussels sprouts around the average family dinner table, due to many years of over-boiling and bad marketing for this unlucky veggie. So if you do end up with a load of leftover roasted Brussels sprouts after your big holiday dinner, this pasta bake recipe is an ideal way to make use of them.

From the kitchen of Tasting Table recipe developer Jennine Rye, this dish features deliciously caramelized Brussels sprouts, chicken, and bacon in a wonderfully creamy white sauce enhanced with flavors of roasted garlic, Dijon mustard, and nutmeg. Mixed with pasta and then topped with grated cheddar cheese and fresh breadcrumbs, this pasta bake is cooked in the oven until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden and crisp. 

This recipe cleverly transforms the often neglected Brussels sprout into a truly scrumptious dish. Roasting is by far the superior way to prepare this vegetable, resulting in wonderfully nutty flavor with just a hint of sweetness. Why not give this recipe a try? You might just discover a newfound love for the nutritious and versatile Brussels sprout!

To begin this white sauce chicken and Brussels sprouts pasta bake recipe, first you will need to gather the ingredients. Pick up some Brussels sprouts, garlic cloves, chicken breasts, bacon, butter, olive oil, fusilli pasta, flour, milk, nutmeg, Dijon mustard, cheddar cheese, fresh white breadcrumbs, and parsley for garnish.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Prepare Brussels sprouts for roasting by removing any brown outer leaves and cutting the sprouts in half lengthwise.

Place Brussels sprouts in a roasting pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil, whole garlic cloves, and salt and pepper.

Roast for 20 minutes until Brussels sprouts are soft and beginning to caramelize. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 8 minutes, or until al dente.

Drain and set aside.

Place 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.

Add chicken and bacon and cook for 5-6 minutes until lightly colored.

Remove chicken mixture from the pan and set aside.

Place a small saucepan over medium-low heat and add the butter.

Once butter has melted, whisk in the flour to form a roux.

Pour in the milk gradually, whisking all the while, to form a thick and smooth white sauce. Turn off the heat.

Remove roasted garlic from the Brussels sprouts dish and mash the cloves.

Add mashed garlic cloves, nutmeg, and Dijon mustard to the white sauce and whisk to combine.

In a large casserole dish, combine pasta, Brussels sprouts, and the chicken and bacon mixture.

Pour over the white sauce and mix to combine.

Top with grated cheddar and fresh breadcrumbs.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until breadcrumbs are crisp and cheese is golden.

Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

This Brussels sprouts and chicken pasta recipe allows for creativity in the kitchen and caters to varying dietary preferences or restrictions. This dish can easily be made vegetarian or vegan by omitting the chicken and bacon, swapping them out for plant-based meat alternatives or veggies such as mushrooms. Additionally, replacing the whole milk with a non-dairy milk, such as almond or oat milk, and using vegan cheese can make the dish entirely dairy-free and suitable for vegans. For those with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease, the fusilli pasta can be replaced with gluten-free pasta options, such as rice or corn pasta. Remember to use an alternative flour for the roux as well.

While the original recipe provides a delicious combination of ingredients, there are numerous ways to enhance or alter the flavors. For example, adding roasted vegetables like carrots or butternut squash can add sweetness, while incorporating spices like paprika and cayenne pepper or herbs like thyme and rosemary can introduce different layers of taste. If you're making this recipe after the holidays, why not use up your leftovers and swap out the chicken for roast turkey?

This creamy Brussels sprouts pasta bake can be served in various ways to suit different occasions and preferences. It is great served on its own and is especially ideal after the holidays when you are sick of the same old leftovers and want something different. If you're enjoying this pasta bake as a main course, it is delicious served with steamed greens as a side dish, a fresh salad to make it lighter and more summery, or a side of freshly baked garlic bread to make the dinner more decadent.

Alternatively, this dish can also be served as a side to accompany roasted meats, grilled fish, or vegetarian mains. Its creamy texture, flavorsome Brussels sprouts, and crunchy topping complement a range of main dishes and add a comforting element to the meal. Similarly, if you need to bring something along to a potluck or buffet, this dish makes for a fantastic addition. It can be baked in a larger quantity and portioned into smaller servings for easy sharing. It can also be prepared ahead of time and reheated just before serving, making it a convenient and crowd-pleasing dish for social gatherings. And if you end up with any leftovers, it makes a mean pasta frittata.